


Chivalry Is Dead

by Sheksper



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura and Lance are Siblings, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Art, Blood and Injury, Dragons, Eventual Relationships, First Kiss, Fluff, Happy Ending, Keith and Shiro are Siblings, Knight Keith (Voltron), M/M, Magic, Mutual Pining, Prince Lance (Voltron), Shiro and Acxa are Step-Siblings, Strangers to Lovers, Supernatural Elements, Temporary Character Death, acxa and keith are siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2018-12-30 01:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 61,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12097701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheksper/pseuds/Sheksper
Summary: Prince Lance was an adventurer. That was all there was to it. So, when he's suddenly assigned a new knight to follow him around, all Lance can think is that his freedom is being taken away, and it's all because of the red-clad, mullet boy named Keith, who is honestly just trying not to lose his job on the first day.





	1. Danger Magnet

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello!  
> So, if you follow my works, you'll notice two things. One is that I uploaded a plethora of fics, then dropped off the map entirely. That is because I got really into Legend of Zelda; Breath of the Wild (So if you wanna tell me your thoughts on that in the comments, that's appreciated too) and because I wrote this fic which is sort of BOTW themed??? I wouldn't say AU...  
> The other thing you may notice is that this is literally a mixture of two other fics I've written. I have a type.  
> If you're new, then I appreciate the heck out of the fact that you even bothered checking this out! Thank you!  
> As per my usual, I will post again in three days!  
> All my betas were busy, so blame me for errors this time. Tragic, I know.  
> Anyways, enjoy!

“Hunk?” Lance entered the kitchen, glancing around at the staff as they prepared for dinner. He didn’t see his friend anywhere. Stepping in a little further, everyone turned to look at him. There was a collective eye widening before each of them briefly bowed and returned back to their work.

Lance hurried along, weaving through the people to get to the head chef at the other end of the kitchen. The head chef, Sal, had been working in the royal kitchen for many years and yet he never warmed up to anyone. He was still the same angry, crass man he was when he had first joined the castle staff. “Sal, where’s Hunk?” he asked.

“He stepped into the freezer,” Sal tossed a thumb back toward the kitchen without turning around. He was never one for formalities.

Lance nodded and moved through the people once again to get to the back of the kitchen. Everyone pretty much moved out of the way for him anyways so it wasn’t that difficult. Sure enough, right as he reached the freezer, Hunk came out with his arms full of packages. He nearly bumped into Lance when he exited the room, but caught himself quickly. Technically, Hunk was supposed to drop what he was holding on the counter and bow to Lance, which he would have done if the King were present, but Lance and Hunk had been friends since childhood, so the formality of royalty wasn’t important to them.

“Lance! Hey, buddy!” he smiled over the packages and began moving through the aisles until he returned to his work station.

“Hey, Hunk. How’s the grub coming along? Another day in paradise, huh?” Lance grinned, following him.

Hunk made an unsure noise, “Everything’s great. Well, Sal’s a little… eh…”

“Still got a stick up his ass?” Lance glanced out of the corner of his eyes at Sal across the room.

“Something like that,” Hunk laughed. After placing them down, he turned to face Lance, giving him his full attention. “So, what’s up?”

Sighing, Lance dropped his elbows onto the counter, ignoring the flour that was probably going to stick to his robes. “Ah, Hunk. There were more Galra Clan members at the border today than usual, and I’m just worried that Zarkon is planning something.”

Hunk nodded, turning to the counter so he could actually do his job while talking to Lance. With an understanding hum, Hunk said, “That explains why King Alfor is so stressed then.”

“Everyone is! And he won’t get off Allura’s back. She has enough to worry about without him loading more onto her. He never lets me go out to explore the Kingdom anymore either.” Hunk paused in his cutting to glance over at Lance, giving him a _look_. Lance knew that _look_. He groaned, “I know I have duties, I get that, but Hunk, it’s so pointless.”

“It’s not pointless, Lance. Your role is just as important as Allura’s,” Hunk tried to cheer him up.

Lance closed his eyes briefly before looking at Hunk with a dead expression. “You don’t have to lie to me to make me feel better,” he exhaled.

Hunk stopped what he was doing to turn towards Lance, “Come on, Lance. Your father just wants to make sure you’re safe.” He cut a piece of a carrot off and handed it to Lance, who took it and nibbled at it with a pout. “You said it yourself, the Galra Clan’s numbers have increased and it’s not safe for you to be alone.”

“I know how to fight,” Lance mumbled, still eating the carrot piece as he spun around to lean his back into the counter. 

“Lance.”

Lance rolled his eyes, “Okay, maybe not against the Galra, but still!” There was a beat of silence as Lance finished eating his carrot and Hunk continued to cut up some more vegetables, then Lance made a noise as though he had just remembered something. “I’m getting an appointed knight, too,” he groaned.

“Hey, that’s good! Allura has one and you should too. I’ve been saying this for awhile,” Hunk scooped the vegetables into a bowl.

“Lotor is the worst! He doesn’t deserve to be Allura’s knight. I don’t want some asshole being my second shadow all the time and reminding me of what I’m supposed to be doing,” Lance sagged his body back, hitting the back of his head on the cupboard.

Hunk sighed, “Why are you so stubborn, Lance? Everyone just wants to make sure you’re safe.”

Smirking at Hunk, Lance scoffed, “Maybe I want to live on the dangerous side.”

Hunk shot a flat, unimpressed look to Lance, and deadpanned, “You’re about as dangerous as a fruitcake.”

Lance made an indignant noise, “I’m dangerous. How dare you?” He placed a hand to his chest in mock offense.

“There’s a difference between being dangerous and being a danger magnet, and you are one but not the other.” Hunk began moving away from his work station. “Now shoo, I have to do my job. You should be doing yours, too.”

Lance let the energy drain from his body and he exited the kitchen. As he wandered through the halls to his room, he couldn’t tear his thoughts away from the irritation swirling around him at the idea that Zarkon might be planning something, and rather than being there to help, he had to deal with his new knight following him around everywhere he went. How could Lance do anything when he never had a moment to himself? Lance had never had a knight before, but now that the Galra Clan’s threat had gone up, it was suddenly top priority.

Lotor, Allura’s appointed knight, was rude and condescending in everything he did. He spoke down to everyone, except the King and Allura herself. Not even Lance was spared. It was even more infuriating that Lotor was a good knight. There was no doubt that he was worthy of being Allura’s appointed knight in terms of skill, but something told Lance that if it really did come down to Allura’s life, Lotor would stutter and think of himself instead of her. That thought bothered Lance.

His new knight was going to be an exceptional fighter with unquestionable loyalty to Lance and to the Altean Kingdom, Lance knew that. They wouldn’t be hired if they weren’t the best of the best. But personality wouldn’t be considered when choosing a knight because personality didn’t matter. The knight could be the biggest jerk in the world, worse than Lotor, but even if they were the nicest human alive, they were still going to follow King Alfor’s orders to the letter and Lance would lose even the smallest shreds of freedom that he barely still had.

Many people in the castle bowed to Lance as he passed but unlike usual, when Lance would wave to them all and say a cheery hello, Lance just trudged past them, too consumed in his thoughts. The more he thought, the angrier he felt. Angry that Zarkon existed, and angry at the knight that he hadn’t even met yet.

 

◊ ◊ ◊

 

When the next day rolled around, Lance was just as sour as he was before. He knew he had to get ready when he was escorted through the castle to the dressing room. Only in the most special cases was Lance whisked away to be dressed in his most fancy robes, things like diplomatic meetings with other kingdoms or galas held in the castle.

But today it was neither of those things. It was the knighting ceremony for his new appointed knight. All knights had a ceremony when they graduated from the knight academy, but this was different. It was a whole new ceremony because the knight was taking one of the highest ranks in the kingdom; a royal bodyguard. They had the same ceremony for Lotor, and Lance hated it then too.

He went along with it anyway, following the outfitter to her work room so she could fit him. His arms were spread as he stood there, silently seething, wishing for nothing more than to never have to meet the ball and chain he would be lugging around from then on. Allura still had freedom from Lotor, but not much. She didn’t have much freedom in general though since she was the expected next in line. Lance was the younger sibling, which was why he wasn’t the next in line, but Lance knew deep down that that was only part of the reason.

The other part was because he was so useless as a leader that he would never be able to run the kingdom. He could barely keep up with his training. Not because it was too advanced or he didn’t take it seriously, he just felt like a failure every time he participated, knowing that it was only being done so that Lance wouldn’t appear as hopeless in the public’s eye. What Lance really wanted was to explore the kingdom and meet the people. That was all he ever wanted.

Once Lance was properly made up in his outfit, he was led through the halls to the front entrance of the castle. There, Allura, King Alfor, Lotor, Coran, and many other staff members were awaiting him. King Alfor had a look on his face as though he was displeased with how long Lance took to join them, but he didn’t say anything. Allura gave him a pitying smile and Lotor smirked. Coran, the royal advisor to the King, proudly smiled at Lance, just like he always did. Lance liked Coran, although he still wished that Hunk could have been there, but he had duties of his own to attend to.

“Now that we’re all here,” Alfor pointedly glanced to Lance, “we can begin.” He led the group over the path and past the front gates until they were at the pavement circle in front of the castle. It was lined with trees and flowers as well as large, sculpted pillars which raised up into the sky. The bright light of the sun shone down on the space, the leaves casting calming shadows over the centre of the circle. There was a gentle breeze ruffling Lance’s hair as he followed the King out to the middle.

Up until this point, Lance had never met his new knight. He didn’t know anything about the person; whether they were a man or a woman, tall or short, from the castle town or a neighbouring village, what weapon they fought with. Except, Lance couldn’t make himself care either. It would be lying to say he wasn’t curious as to what they were like, but he wasn’t excited to meet them.

The King stopped in the centre while Lance and Allura stood next to him. Allura was a little bit farther back than Lance and their father because it wasn’t her knighting ceremony, it was Lance’s. Lotor was beside her. Normally he wore a face of someone who knew something you didn’t and found joy in you not knowing, but in the presence of the King, he was stone-faced, closed off.

All the royal knights from the barracks had convened around the pavement circle. They all looked pretty excited. Of course, they would be, they knew the knight that had been chosen and were probably happy for them. Lance scanned the crowd, trying to figure out who it could be. Then, from amongst the crowds, stepped a boy.

He was a lot shorter and smaller than Lance was expecting, lithe in appearance but Lance could tell there was muscle there. His hair, a mullet, really, but he made it work. Long and black as it fell around his shoulders in the back, an interesting contrast to the shortness of his bangs in the front, which covered his eyes. And those eyes should not have been covered. Even from as far away as he was, Lance could see how piercing and intense the guy’s gaze was, completely focused and determined as he approached the King. His eyebrows were pinched in a look of irritation but Lance suspected that it was just his default expression. Strong jaw, supple and soft skin marred with scars, authoritative purpose in every move he made; Lance’s new appointed knight was drop dead gorgeous.

The boy wasn’t dressed like most of the other knights were. Lance supposed it was because he was only at the knighting ceremony, but somehow it didn’t seem very practical for battle. A crimson red tunic reaching his mid thigh, although his legs were covered with grey leggings. There were a variety of belts and straps adorning his chest to keep his sword and shield strapped to his back. Lance almost didn’t notice them, but the black gauntlets covering his arms were fingerless. Something about that was amusing to Lance and he smiled slightly.

As the boy stopped in front of the King, he kneeled down to rest his right arm across his knee and hung his head with his eyes closed. It was typical to bow in front of the King in this way, especially when one was going to be in his presence for a long while.

Everyone around them had gone completely silent, watching as the King raised his right hand. He held his palm facing towards the boy and began his speech, “Royal appointed knight to Prince Lance of Altea, chosen by the sword. You have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of threat and adversity, and have proven yourself worthy of the position of appointed knight to the Prince by the blessings of the Goddess Voltron.” His voice boomed over the courtyard. Lance watched the boy for a reaction that he knew he wouldn’t see.

One of the generals, a man with white hair at the forefront of his undercut and a large scar crossing the span of his nose, handed the King a large claymore. Lance knew the sword was specifically for knighting ceremonies and had never been used on any other occasion. It was no doubt extremely dull considering its use.

The King held the sword with the point in the ground as he continued speaking, “By accepting this title, you hereby swear on your life to stay loyal to the crown, to speak only the truth, to be brave, charitable, and punctual, and, above all else, to protect and defend Prince Lance to your dying breath.” The boy didn’t make any movements as King Alfor raised the claymore to tap the flat edge of it on each of the knight’s shoulders. Once he was done, he handed the sword off the head knight again.

“You may rise,” King Alfor made an upward hand motion as the boy slowly came up to his full height, no longer kneeling or staring at the ground. The same expression was on his face and for the first time since the beginning of the ceremony, he glanced toward Lance. It was only for a split second and, had he not been paying attention, he surely would have missed it, but Lance couldn’t take his eyes off the guy.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Lance was reminded that no matter how beautiful he was, that boy was still going to be the end of his freedom. The same irritation from the previous night seeped into Lance’s veins, pumping through him and riling him up from within. No more travelling through the mountains and climbing, no more enjoying the air from atop the rolling hills, no more discovering new lakes to swim in where no one would find him, no more village visits to his friends and acquaintances. All of that was over because his new knight would report everything to the King while he followed him around and ruined his fun.

Lance frowned. He realized he didn’t even know the boy’s name, it had never been said.

There were a few more words from the King, although Lance wasn’t really listening, until finally the ceremony came to a close. Everyone bowed once more to the King before dispersing. They had places to be that weren’t there. The general stuck around, however, placing a hand on Lance’s knight’s shoulder. They both shared a smile, one of pride, before the general left to follow the others back to the barracks.

Lance was supposed to stay and greet his new knight, even though he didn’t want to, but Alfor and Allura would both have his head if he tried to leave now, and Lotor wouldn’t let him forget it after. So, Lance stayed, watching the black-haired boy approach him. For a moment, Lance thought he was going to speak, but then he kneeled in front of Lance the same way he had during the knighting ceremony. He didn’t say a word.

After the boy had risen to his feet again, Lance tried his best to remain neutral. It was difficult with his conflicting emotions, but he managed. The King took both of their silences as a signal to leave, turning on his heel to return to the castle. There were guards waiting by the gates to escort them all inside.

The entire time, Lance was painfully aware of the knight behind him. Lance hadn’t even heard the guy’s voice yet and he could already imagine the grating, whining sound as he tried to tell Lance what to do and then backed up his actions with a ‘The King ordered it.’ Just the thought was enough to make Lance grimace. Appointed knight was just another title for a babysitter. And Lance didn’t need a babysitter.

Once they were back inside the castle, King Alfor gave Lance and Allura warm smiles, informed them not to be late to lunch, nodded at their appointed knights, and then he turned and made his way through the long corridor, accompanied by his personal guards.

Allura watched the King walk away until he was around the corner, then she quickly faced Lance. Smiling excitedly, she informed him in a low voice, “Father will be busy for the rest of the day, I made certain of it.”

Lance stared at her for a moment, confusion clear on his face. He didn’t understand what she was getting at with that. “So?”

Allura, frustrated that Lance was missing the obvious, rolled her eyes and reiterated, “ _So_. Explore, see the world, forget training.” She gestured to the front door again, past the knights who were awkwardly standing there, listening to the conversation. “I know you want to. You can’t fool me, Lance.” With a pat to the shoulder and a wink, she added, “I’ll cover for you.”

A grin growing on his face, Lance felt his whole body spark up at the idea, suddenly very eager to escape his robes and throw on something more casual. There was a certain lake he had been meaning to search, but King Alfor always stopped him before he had the chance. “Thank you!” he replied with earnest.

“Think nothing of it,” she waved her hand dismissively.

Then a thought dawned on Lance and his smile faded slowly. He glanced out of the corner of his eyes at the boy with the sword on his back. Luckily, his gaze wasn’t on Lance, but he was still within earshot. That boy wasn’t going to let Lance go anywhere the King didn’t allow, how foolish of him to think for even a moment that he would be free. He frowned.

Allura seemed to pick up on Lance’s displeasure, following his gaze to the young knight. She sighed, then drew Lance’s attention back, angling him away from their knights and pulling him in a little closer to whisper, “If you give him a chance, you might be surprised.” Then she spun around. “Lotor, we should be off! I have much to do today and we’re wasting daylight!” she smiled with determination and began wandering back down the hallway, probably headed to her study, if Lance guessed. Lotor followed after her.

Lance stood there in the hallway for a moment, just him and his knight. He hesitantly glanced at the boy’s shoes and then slowly up to his eyes. It wasn’t that he was checking his knight out, he was just dreading finally meeting his eye again. When he finally did, however, the knight was already staring at him with an eyebrow quirked in a silent question of what Lance was doing. They stood in silence, just staring at each other. The silence was stretched out and Lance shuffled his feet.

Then, Lance turned to the boy angrily, and firmly said, “You don’t have to follow me around all the time, so don’t try to. I’m going out. Don’t tell anyone and don’t bother trying to come with me. You’ll just get lost in the woods or something.” And with that, Lance turned and marched away from the knight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case y'all're wondering what Keith's outfit looks like, [I drew this](https://sheksper.tumblr.com/post/169745551290/for-my-fic-chivalry-is-dead)


	2. Lance Is a Slippery Trout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is ready for some Keith POV? I sure am!  
> Unrelated, but if y'all haven't seen Let The Right One In, you should. It came out in 2008, it's not new. I thought it was pretty good, except the acting in some spots wasn't so great. Maybe it was though. It was in Swedish so I couldn't really tell if the inflections were realistic or not.

Keith wasn’t a stupid person. He wouldn’t have been assigned as Prince Lance’s knight if he were. Lance couldn’t just order Keith to _not_ follow him. It was made very clear in his training that orders from the King were the overarching, be-all-end-all of orders and should be followed at all costs. Of course, Keith knew that that rule would be broken in circumstances when the King’s orders put others in danger, Keith wasn’t going to kill innocents. But simple orders like ‘Protect Prince Lance’ were very easy to follow. All Keith had to do was follow Lance when he left the castle and protect him from danger. He didn’t need to be around Lance in the day. As long as he was certain of his whereabouts, then that was all that was required of him.

And yet, Keith was already failing. Day one and he was struggling to figure out where Lance had gone. It was easy enough to trail him through the castle to his room and hide behind a wall until he left his bedroom, all without being seen. That wasn’t where the issue came in.

The issue was when Lance made a bunch of quick turns down winding steps and through secret passages that Keith would easily have overlooked had he not been following Lance. He got a lot of weird looks from the staff of the castle as he ran on his tiptoes through the hallways, attempting to soften his steps as much as possible. It also felt ridiculous having to race around in the most obviously coloured tunic ever created, hiding from no one except a single – extremely fast – boy.

That wasn’t difficult enough though. The universe had decided that Lance hadn’t made it hard enough on Keith, so finally, Lance arrived at his destination; the stables. Lance already had a horse, and apparently, the guy running the stables was already aware of Lance’s frequent trips because the horse was ready to go before he had even stepped foot into the barn. After a quick exchange with the guy, Prince Lance was hopping onto his horse and riding away down a path Keith hadn’t ever seen before in his life.

With panic setting in, Keith sprinted into the barn, nearly barreling into the worker. “I need a horse!” he practically yelled.

The man – Thace was his name – was clearly startled at first, but his face quickly softened. He chuckled a little. “Are you the new knight?” Thace asked.

Keith nodded, calming a little but still glancing toward the path Lance had run down, antsy.

“Trust Prince Lance to leave his cavalier behind,” he laughed. Something about that must have been amusing and just _so Lance_ but Keith didn’t have time to overthink it since his assignment had successfully evaded him.

“Right, so’re you going to give me a horse or do I have to steal one?” Keith snapped, narrowing his eyes.

Thace wasn’t fazed. “Fabron at the end is ready to go. He’s new too, so you’ll have lots in common,” he smiled, amused.

Keith didn’t waste a second, instantly racing toward the black beauty in the last stall. True to Thace’s word, all the tack was in place. And, also true, he was a new horse because once Keith was on, Fabron didn’t immediately listen. Keith had grown up learning to fight in all manners, including on horseback, so this shouldn’t have been hard for him, but he was far too panicked and frustrated to give the horse the proper love he deserved. He frantically tried every trick in the book; flicking the reins, verbal commands, using his boots, nothing worked.

Thace sauntered over. He watched Keith for a moment before speaking up, “I know you want to catch up to the Prince, but you’re going to need to relax or the horse will never respond.”

“I know!” Keith shouted, slamming the reins down. The horse made a displeased noise. There was silence for a moment where Thace just stared at him with the same expression he had had the entire time. Keith sighed, “I’m sorry.” Then he calmly began caressing Fabron’s neck, speaking to him like an old friend. Fabron responded with little huffs.

Once he was sure it was enough, he took the reins and gently flicked them down. Fabron, luckily, began walking forward with clacking steps. Keith smiled and whispered his thanks to Fabron.

“Now go catch up with that kid before he gets himself killed. He said something about the lake,” Thace called, grinning.

Keith nodded determinedly and flicked the reins again, racing down the trail on the back of his horse.

The path was flat and pretty straightforward to follow, which Keith was thankful for. However, Keith wasn’t looking for the end of the path, he was looking for the brown-haired boy with blue eyes and an attitude problem. That boy could be anywhere. The clue about the lake was useful and he was thankful that Thace had told him, but Keith had never been to this part of Altea and he had no idea where the nearby lakes were or which one Lance was going to. If he visited all of them, he could very well miss Lance on the way by.

Keith didn’t want to be fired for failing to find and protect the King’s only son. He shuddered at the thought.

On top of tracking Lance, he also had to keep a low profile until he actually got to Lance, or else he would be spotted and Lance would take off before Keith even had time to realize what was going on. Lance was like a slippery trout and Keith was no fisherman. He furrowed his eyebrows at the weird comparison.

Fortunately, Keith might not have been a fisherman, but he was certainly one hell of a warrior and a tracker. He studied the path ahead of him as best he could while he was also on a moving horse, searching for any sign that someone had been down there recently. To his honest amazement, there was a very subtle variation in the dirt which could only have been done very recently. Keith sighed in relief and followed the trail, practically leaning off Fabron in order to see it at all.

Sure enough, it led through the trees for quite some ways before tapering off at a large lake overlooking a cliff. It was beautiful. The sky reflected perfectly off the lake’s completely still surface, creating an even bluer appearance to the water. All the grass around it was lush and green, almost fake-looking in how healthy it was. It made Keith want to take his boots off and walk around barefoot just to feel the tickle. A warm wind fluttered through the sky and over the lake, dipping down off the edge of the cliff and to the tiny village below that.

If Keith hadn’t been so focused on the boy angrily stalking toward him upon his arrival, he would’ve considered taking a dip in the water.

As Fabron slowed, Keith leaped off, not waiting for a complete stop before flipping himself over the side of the horse. He landed on both feet and rose to his full height just in time to hear Lance yelling.

“What’re you doing here?! I made it pretty damn clear that I didn’t want you to come with me!” He stopped right in front of Keith. “Are you just tuning me out when I talk to you?”

Anger bubbled up from within Keith, filling him to the brim and leaving no room for any other emotion. “It’s literally my _job_ to come with you!” he yelled back.

Lance sighed, heavy and frustrated, like he knew Keith would say that. “Well, I’m fine! I don’t need you babying me 24/7, no matter what the King says! Go back to the castle! And tell that to my dad too!” Lance turned back toward the lake, fists clenched at his sides.

Keith’s shoulders hiked up to his ears. “The King didn’t tell me to follow you, that’s just what I’m supposed to do!” Lance ignored him. “I’m not going to report to him or anything,” he called after him.

There was a stutter in Lance’s step then but he didn’t stop. “Stop following me!” he shouted without turning around.

Keith frowned, angry and feeling like an idiot for bothering to follow after Lance at all. He really wouldn’t report to Alfor, he hadn’t been lying about that, mostly because he didn’t need anyone knowing he nearly lost the King’s son on the first day though, not for Lance.

Irritated, Keith trailed along behind Lance as they made their way back to the lake. Lance wasn’t done exploring and it seemed like he was going to do just that regardless of where Keith was. They made their way around the outside edge of the lake, searching for something – Keith wasn’t sure what – and playing with the fish. Through the entire adventure, Keith made sure to keep a couple feet of distance between him and Lance. He still received glares from the Prince though.

Lance didn’t seem like he was going to hop into the water at any time, although he clearly wanted to. He kept staring down at his clothes and then quickly back out at the water. Keith would just assume Lance could swim because he did not want to leap into the water to save a drowning asshole of a Prince.

The sky was clear above them but there was a huge cloud in the east which was quickly approaching. Keith watched it for a moment, trying to determine whether it was something of note or not. He mumbled, “Looks like it’s going to rain soon.”

Lance shouted back from where he was at the lake, “Good, I hope it rains only on you!”

“What?” Keith glanced to him.

“Then I can stand from afar and laugh because it’s raining on your parade. It’s not a parade anyone wanted to go to anyway. That’s what you get for raining on _my_ parade!” Lance stomped away again.

Keith just sighed and followed him. They meandered around the perimeter of the water. Lance searched the ground while Keith picked at the leather of his gauntlets. Keith wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was bored and he wanted something to do. Maybe Lance being in danger wasn’t exactly what he would call entertainment, but at least it was something. Keith huffed a sigh and squinted up at the sun above him, cursing the Goddess Voltron for assigning him to Lance.

Suddenly, Lance stopped walking, turning to face Keith. “Why did you take this job?” he asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Keith paused his steps too. The question sort of confused him and he tilted his head unconsciously. “The King asked for the best knight,” he answered simply.

“Yeah, so, why’d they ask you?” Lance smirked. Keith just stared at him, deadpan. After a moment, Lance continued, “You could’ve said no to the offer…” He glared, more in confusion than actual anger.

“It’s an honour to protect the Prince,” Keith recited.

Lance seemed pleased with that answer though. He smiled slowly, “Yeah, I guess I am in pretty high demand! Understandable that you’d want to be my knight.”

“That’s just what I’ve been told.” Keith furrowed his eyebrows, “I’ve yet to really experience anything honourable while with you though. Exact opposite, actually.”

Lance instantly changed his demeanor, appearing extremely affronted by Keith’s admission. Keith couldn’t help the small smile on his face at the reaction. “Yeah, well, you’ve got a mullet, so… I win!” Lance shrugged in a way that screamed ‘I don’t make the rules, that’s just how it is’ and hurried away with a smug lilt to his step before Keith could say another word.

Keith, without really thinking too much about the action, reached his hand up to the back of his head and tangled his hair around his fingers. He didn’t have a mullet… Did he?

They spent the rest of the day around the lake with Lance doing everything in his power to annoy Keith, whether it be by calling him names or just simply trying to run away and hide from Keith. It was hell and Keith began to question _himself_ why he took this job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEYO! Stop what you are doing right now and look at this [fanart](https://lordfloofeef.tumblr.com/post/169847172657/fanfic-fanart-fanfic-by-sheksper-on-ao3-called) courtesy of [lordfloofeef on Tumblr](https://lordfloofeef.tumblr.com/) or [foxie_01 on Instagram.](https://www.instagram.com/foxie_01/) It's beautiful and I'm gonna die!!!
> 
> Keith just wants to fight and not lose his job, and so far, those two things are just not happening.  
> Also, can someone write a crack fic with Lance as Drakken and Keith as Shego because I've been thinking about this for awhile.


	3. C'est La Vie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's that? There, in the distance! Do my eyes deceive me? Is that... Lance feeling remorseful????

“Hunk? I have a predicament,” Lance flopped over the arm of the couch and let his face smack directly into the cushions. He didn’t care if he suffocated.

Hunk, who was seated on the far end of the couch and out of reach of Lance as he fell, sighed heavily and dropped the notebook of dinner plans onto the coffee table. He shuffled in his spot and face Lance. “Go on,” he urged.

Lance rolled onto his side so he could speak clearer. “Mullet hates me.”

“What?” Hunk furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, staring down at Lance.

“I know I was a dick to him, but I thought he was going to be the Zazu to my Simba and shit talk me to my dad, but he’s actually kind of not that bad. He’s more like the Nala to my Simba. Maybe… Except we’re not best friends and we’re not getting married, y’know? He’s just down for shitty adventures. Or he doesn’t know he’s not supposed to be down for shitty adventures…? He’s smart and witty too, it’s throwing me off my game! I may not be the Altean King, but I am the Comeback King, _and yet_ , Hunk, he’s always one step ahead of me. _And_ he’s a smoke show! As if he didn’t have enough going for him... Anyway, the point is–”

Hunk pressed a hand to his mouth, cutting him off. “Okay, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Start again.”

“I wasn’t nice to Mullet because I thought he was going to ruin everything, and now I think he hates me and I’m the one who ruined everything,” Lance reiterated.

“Hold on, who’s Mullet?” He removed his hand.

Lance let out a long groan. “My knight in shining armour,” he drawled sarcastically.

“Oh, Keith! I was meaning to ask how it was going with him,” Hunk instantly brightened.

“Wait, Keith? His name is Keith? Why do you know his name? I didn’t know that, I’ve just been calling him Mullet in my head this whole time…”

Hunk sighed, closing his eyes briefly. “Wow, Lance. I can’t imagine why Keith wouldn’t like you,” he sardonically held his hands out and stared pointedly at Lance.

Lance groaned again, longer and louder, with more pain. “Hunk! You’re supposed to be helping me!”

“Alright, alright, fine. So, you don’t want him to hate you, yes, carry on.”

Making a ridiculous hand motion, Lance exclaimed, “Exactly!” Then he instantly soured again. “I don’t want him to hate me, but I’m still not sure about him.”

Hunk made a contemplative hum. “I thought he seemed nice, if a little awkward and lacking a filter,” he offered.

Lance thought that over for a moment with furrowed eyebrows before sitting up and facing Hunk. “You’ve met him?” he asked incredulously.

“Yeah, he came by the kitchen earlier before you got here. He was mapping the place out. I thought it was a little weird at first, but he is your guard after all, it only makes sense that he would know where everything is. Especially the kitchen,” Hunk shrugged.

“Unbelievable. Fraternizing with the enemy.”

“Lance, he’s not the enemy.”

Lance sighed. “Okay, I don’t want to hate him, and I don’t hate him, but I also want to hate him, but I don’t want him to hate me,” Lance shifted his hands around from side to side as if it would make anymore sense.

Hunk nodded his head as if he was understanding what Lance was saying before slowly switching to shaking his head. “I’m still lost,” he muttered.

“I just want to go on adventures without him ratting me out!” Lance threw his arms up, nearly whacking Hunk in the face.

“Well, I only talked to him briefly but he didn’t seem like he cared about following rules as much as he cared about his one job,” Hunk suggested.

Lance shifted around to stare suspiciously up at Hunk. “What do you mean?”

“I just don’t think Keith cares about what you’re supposed to be doing. He’s probably only focused on keeping you safe.”

Lance’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Why do you say that?” he asked.

Hunk made an odd face, as if he was thinking back on something. He began to explain, “Well, we had a conversation about the castle, but then he called the King ‘Alfor.’ Just ‘Alfor.’ I told him he couldn’t do that and he was a little confused at first. He said something like; ‘you’re only in trouble if you get caught.’ He also said something along the lines of the Prince being his only priority anyways. Then he left.” Hunk nodded, “You’re probably going to be fine with him as your knight.”

“Whatever you say, Hunk,” Lance sighed. He let himself flop back into the couch again, hoping to suffocate his face in the cushion. Hunk just shook his head, exasperated, and leaned over to pick up his notebook from the table. He returned to his dinner planning for the next week and let Lance continue his dramatics.

 

◊ ◊ ◊

 

Keith was never one to interact with others, but as the knight to a member of the royal family, the Prince no less, he decided that getting to know the staff a bit would help. If only to catch some useful information from someone. Lance had gone off to wherever the hell rude, blue-eyed Princes go, and Keith was off duty as long as Lance was in the castle. So, speaking to the staff was his plan. He had meant to talk to Sal, the head of the kitchen, but Sal wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone and directed him to a man named Hunk.

Hunk was a very kind and patient person. Keith hadn’t known many people like that in his life – his family had been anything but – and it was quite refreshing. Even Keith found it easy to talk to the guy. He had probably said things he shouldn’t have and had let on to more than he had meant to, but he never once felt as though he had made a mistake in the conversation. Hunk was very understanding as well and he adapted to anyone he spoke to with envious ease.

Keith had learned some things about Lance; how he was very curious, adventurous, and was a lover of puns. Although he wasn’t sure what to do with that information, or even if it was useful, he still kept it in the back of his mind.

He had briefly considered asking Hunk if there was a reason why Lance seemed to not want to be around him, but he didn’t; it wasn’t really Hunk’s business anyways, or Keith’s for that matter. Whatever Lance’s problem was, he would either tell Keith or have to deal with it on his own. It still kind of bothered Keith though.

He marched along through the hallways. Many people whine about slow walkers on the streets, but no one experienced it as much as Keith. Unless there was a reason for Keith to walk slow, like if he was following someone else or looking for something, then he would move at speeds that were just short of running. Keith had a naturally long stride with powerful steps which made him difficult to keep up with and it added to his threatening aura. He was scary in appearance anyways, so when he was coming down the hallway at Mach 10, people tended to move out of the way. Not that Keith was complaining though.

Except, not _everyone_ seemed to move.

Keith was busy thinking about his job and everything he needed to do by the next day when he was suddenly smacked in the shoulder with a flat, commanding hand. It startled him, but not enough that he needed to stumble back.

“Not a very good knight if you couldn’t even see that coming, huh?” the person drawled. Keith’s eyes narrowed before he even knew who it was just from the condescending lilt to the voice. “How do you expect to protect the Prince like that? Speaking of which, how is that going anyways? Is he still treating you like the dirt beneath his foot? Don’t expect that to change,” he incited with a smirk.

Keith turned. He instantly recognized the taller man. His flowing hair cascaded down his back in a waterfall of silver. The amused malice in his eyes was practically tangible and it induced a sickly slithering up his spine. It took everything Keith had to stop from shivering. The hand that had collided into Keith was still outstretched and Keith could see, when he glanced to it, that his nails were manicured and perfectly rounded. He wasn’t sure why, but that was somehow more threatening.

“Well, very few can achieve a mastery of sword fighting. Yet I have made an art of it,” Lotor twirled his wrist delicately and sneered at Keith. “Anyone who’s seen me would know that it’s considered to be quite the masterpiece of battle techniques, even among the kingdom knights. With proper utilization of my superior skills, no harm should ever come to our future Queen. Now then, my ability to triumph in any bout is certainly of note, but let’s not – pardon me for being so blunt – let’s not forget the fact that I am the most skilled warrior of all the Alteans.”

Keith felt his face scrunch up in anger at the Princess’s appointed knight, disgusted at the ego he held. True, Keith wasn’t exactly expecting to be best friends with the guy when he had arrived, but he also hadn’t been expecting to have a conflict with him either. Lotor draped his arm around Keith’s shoulders, more as a place to lean against and rest rather than as a friendly gesture.

“Yet, despite these truths, it seems that I have been tapped to the same level as you. All because you happen to be the son of two well-respected – although mediocre – fighters of the Altean army. I mean, it’s just… asinine,” Lotor spat.

“You fucking–” Keith was interrupted before he could get ready to throw a punch at Lotor.

“Yes, it is surprising that I would waste the energy to know who you are, but, _c’est la vie_ ,” he shrugged. That wasn’t why Keith was mad. “Unless of course, you think you can prove me wrong? Maybe we should just settle this one on one,” Lotor yanked at Keith’s shoulder around so they were facing each other.

Keith realized what he was doing then; he was purposely provoking Keith. The goal was probably to get Keith fired, and had Keith been fifteen again, he would have fallen for it, but Keith was an adult now. He wouldn’t lose this job over some asshole. Keith fought back the urge to grind his teeth against each other, knowing it would be visible to the other. Up to that point, Keith hadn’t said anything, and he was beginning to realize that just staring at Lotor like an idiot really wasn’t helping his case.

“Isn’t that uncomfortable?” Keith asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

Lotor’s face faltered for a moment before he took the bait. He cautiously asked, “Is what uncomfortable?”

“That stick up your ass,” Keith said simply. Before he even got to see the look on Lotor’s face, he was already turning around and sauntering away. And if there was a sashay to his hips as he went, then what was Keith to do?

As he left for his assigned room, Keith tried his best to ignore what Lotor had attempted to stir up, but it was difficult to forget. Why the heck was Lotor trying so hard to get him to participate in a duel? Nothing about the encounter sat well with Keith. Lotor had definitely been there longer than Keith had and the glint in his eye was malicious, so Keith decided it was probably safer to just stay away from that entirely. Losing this job would be his biggest failure and Keith had experienced enough failures in his life, he couldn’t afford another.

All he had to do was to prove to everyone – Lotor, his family, the King, the Prince, and himself – just how capable he was of protecting Prince Lance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is Lotor such a sophisticated asshole?


	4. Adventures Need Horses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance needs a man who can keep up with his hectic lifestyle

The next morning came around and once again, Lance had training. Training which he would, once again, be avoiding. Rather than do that, Lance could think of a million things he would rather be doing than that, but one in particular stood out to him; exploring the Kerberos battlegrounds. And that was what he was going. First priority, however, was breakfast.

Lance wasn’t usually one for large breakfasts unless there was a special occasion, like a birthday. He would normally just have an egg tart or a banana. Sometimes there was a cake leftover from the previous day or even a crepe if Hunk was feeling up for it. On this day, Lance wasn’t planning on wasting time with breakfast, not only because he wanted to hurry and get on with his adventure, but also because there was less of a chance of Keith following him that way.

He hurried to the kitchen as quickly as he could, checking behind him the entire way there to make sure he wasn’t being trailed. When he finally arrived, Hunk was already there with some food prepared. He was seated at the table, flipping through a recipe book. Lance was about the greet him when saw Hunk laugh at something but he wasn’t sure what. Then, as he came around the corner, he saw that Hunk was speaking with someone who was at the other end of the table.

Keith.

Hunk finished laughing at whatever Keith had been saying and turned to the door as he heard Lance enter. “Good morning, Lance!” he smiled.

Lance distractedly answered, “Yeah, hey, buddy. What’s he doing here?” Lance pointed an accusatory finger at the black-haired boy calmly drinking a mug of milk at the end of the table.

“Getting breakfast, same as you,” Keith answered, lowering his cup to the table and letting his eyes close momentarily.

Lance hadn’t really taken him in until that moment, but once he did, he realized that Keith didn’t look at all tired. In fact, he looked even more ready than the previous day. Not only that, but he was wearing the same red tunic. That must be his armour then and not just a ceremony outfit. Lance wasn’t sure if that was really comforting or not, to know that this was the guy who was supposed to protect him.

“Keith’s never had a crepe; can you believe that?” Hunk interrupted Lance’s thoughts.

“What the fuck do you mean you’ve never had a crepe?” Lance glared suddenly at Keith. How could he have never had a crepe? “That’s not possible!” he flung his hands up in outrage. Something occurred to him then. “You’re full of _crepe!_ ” he suddenly shouted, doing finger guns. Hunk snorted then grinned, chuckling lightly.

Keith hummed in agreement but otherwise kept a straight face, almost like he hadn’t made the connection with Lance’s pun. Lance felt a little offended at that. “I swear it’s true,” he calmly answered. He leaned over from the table until he reached one of the culinary counters, grabbing something then leaning back to his seat. “Also,” he tossed up an egg that he had retrieved from the counter, expertly catching it in his other hand, “that was the worst _yolk_ I’ve ever heard.”

Hunk laughed in response and Lance just glared harder. He wasn’t hungry anymore. Spinning on his heel, he began to leave, but Hunk’s voice stopped him.

“Wait, Lance, do you want anything for breakfast? I could make you a fruit parfait if you’d like.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll bring food with me,” Lance responded kindly, opening the fridge and retrieving some apples, truffles, durians, and radishes. Once they were all gathered on the counter, he pulled a messenger’s bag out from one of the bottom drawers, where he kept it for when he went adventuring, and loaded everything in. “See? I’m fine!”

Hunk stared at him skeptically. “Lance, I really don’t think–”

Lance cut him off, “I have an adventure to go on! Things to discover! I, Lance, am a buccaneer of the lands and I don’t have time for things like cereals and toasts. Not right now anyway. Later on, when you make lamb, I’ll be there in a heartbeat, you know I will, man,” Lance pressed a hand to his heart then held it out to Hunk, who smiled and copied.

Then another voice piped up. “Where’re you heading today? As you know, I am required to accompany you,” Keith smiled as though he had just beat Lance in a carefully planned checkmate. Lance wouldn’t let that happen.

“Yes, we will go but first… I’m going to change,” Lance blurted out. “Stay right here until I get back.” He didn’t wait for a response, just hurried down the hall at a speed that could almost be considered a jog. There were no footsteps following him, thankfully.

He passed many guards and staff members on his way to his room who all bowed to him. Lance was trying to move as fast as he could since he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to go outside while his father was distracted, but he also wanted to make up for showing such rudeness to the people who greeted him in the hallway the other night when he was lost in thought, so he waved to all of them with a smile and bright eyes. In his mind, he was focused on his mission though; get to the battleground.

What he hadn’t told anyone was that he wasn’t going to get back to his knight until he was done at the battleground. He didn’t need sword boy ruining his adventure with his safety and his macho. So, the solution was to run outside while he was still standing in the spot by the table and just leave him there. Maybe someone would come across that boy being useless in the kitchen and ask him where Lance was. When Lance wasn’t where he had said, he would get fired. No more appointed knight.

The plan was a little bit rude and definitely not fair at all to Keith, but Lance was thinking about himself and not the fun destroyer waiting for him.

Lance finally reached his room after hurrying up many flights of stairs and down many hallways. He opened the large doors adorned with swirling, metal designs. Checking the closet, Lance found his best adventuring outfit. It was just a blue and white top with intricate gold trimming and brown capris which had many pockets. He kept his shoes the same though.

Once he was ready to go, he gingerly opened the door and checked both ways to make sure that the hallway was empty, or that Keith wasn’t trailing him, then raced down the hall on light feet. It was a wide-open area with a high ceiling, causing his footsteps to echo, but he tried to go as fast as he could. Normally it would take someone awhile to get down to the stables and saddle up a horse, but Lance had perfected the art of getting out of the castle as quickly as possible, and he knew how to get there faster.

About three windows from the end of the hall, there was a flag outside. It waved in the wind wildly, displaying the Altean symbol proudly. They were displayed all over the castle but this one in particular was important because he knew the window could be opened. He shimmied through the window opening and out onto the edge of the castle wall. The flag was a short jump which Lance had made many times before, but it was never any less exhilarating. He leaped. As always, he reached the pole and slid down rapidly until he was on the roof of a section of the castle which jutted out and away from the rest of it.

Doing his best not to slip off the top of the building, Lance jogged along. There was a window to his study there, on the side of the wall. Carefully as he could, Lance climbed down the side until he reached the window. He always kept it open for this very reason.

Once he was inside, he hurried down the stairs to the second level of his study. Although it seemed large, especially with two levels, it really wasn’t that big at all for a castle. It was a circular room with many windows and open spaces. As soon as he was on the second floor, he stepped out another window which he also kept open, and climbed his way down the patchy vines and moss which had grown up the wall. It didn’t extend all the way to the bottom, but it got low enough that Lance was able to jump to safety.

Finally, he was on the ground. There was a small river running parallel to the castle. If Lance followed it, it would lead to the stables. Many knights had often seen Lance racing around on the grounds and not reported him to his father since they all had their jobs and they really had no idea what Lance was doing other than taking a walk, and this was good. It meant that Lance could get away easily. But now, he had a knight, Keith, and _everyone_ knew.

If Lance wasn’t being escorted by Keith, he would surely be questioned.

Lance had to make sure to watch where he was going, cautious not to run right in the way of any of the knights which he could see in the distance. Eventually, the stable came into view. Lance sighed in relief. He had made it. Putting a little bit more effort into his run, he turned the corner toward the door.

The guy who kept the horses and tended to them was a very nice man who knew all about Lance’s adventures. He would never rat Lance out. So, there was no reason for Lance to continue his sneaking and instead, he burst through the door.

“Thace of base!” Lance spread his arms out wide in a grandiose gesture, beaming as he entered. The man in question turned to face Lance, an amused smile playing at his lips. “I’m in need of an adventure, and adventures need horses, so by extension…” Lance rolled his hand through the air with an expectant look.

“You’re in need of a horse,” Thace finished.

Lance clapped his hands together, “Bingo!”

“Yeah, yeah. I got your horse already queued up over there,” Thace jabbed a thumb to the end of the barn before picking up a saddle and heading for a different horse.

Lance stared down the barn for a moment, seeing his horse, Livia, with her reins and saddle set up. She huffed through her nose and Lance smiled. As he began strolling towards her, he spoke over his shoulder, “You knew I was coming? Am I that predictable?”

From the other side of the barn, Thace called, “No, your cavalier informed me before your arrival.”

Lance’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “My what?”

Suddenly, a new voice spoke up, “Quite the stunt you pulled there.” It wasn’t grating like Lance had been expecting, it was a smooth and low, yet with a slight gravelly tone to it. Lance turned to the source and there, on the back of a black horse named Fabron where Lance hadn’t noticed him, was Keith, smirking down at Lance.

Anger filled Lance as he realized that he had not only been caught, but he had also been followed. And by Keith, no less. He clenched his fists and glared as hard as he could at Keith, stepping forward as if it would intimidate him. “ _You!_ I told you to wait in the kitchen!”

“And you expected me to believe you’d return after yesterday too,” the boy snapped, shaking his head slowly.

“I _am_ going to the Kerberos battlegrounds,” Lance spat, challenging Keith to tell him otherwise. Lance didn’t like using the royalty card to twist things around so he would get his way, it made him feel awful and almost like a way of saying he was better than others, which he didn’t believe, but he was about five seconds away from using his Official Prince voice to order Keith away. Lance was going to see those battlegrounds and Keith couldn’t stop him.

“Well, hurry up and get on the damn horse then. You’re wasting daylight making constipated faces,” Keith drawled and clacked the reins on his horse, guiding Fabron out of the barn until he was waiting in the grassy area just past the entrance. Lance stared at him as he exited, slightly taken aback. Wasn’t he gonna yip at Lance for avoiding his training and studying? After a moment, the boy turned back around to glare impatiently at Lance. “Pick your jaw up off the floor and let’s go,” he urged.

Lance quickly closed his mouth from where he had unconsciously opened it in disbelief and then hurried over to Livia, swinging up and onto her back. He flicked the reins and followed quickly after Keith. There was still an ounce of surprise and doubt in Lance’s mind, waiting for the moment when the guards came running after him and dragged him back to King Alfor. But it never came. His horse trotted past Keith, who was watching Lance as he went, and they were off.

Lost in thought as he went, Lance found himself glancing over at Keith out of the corner of his eye. Keith’s eyes were shifting around over the land, taking in the view. It made Lance wonder if he had never been to this area of the kingdom and pride surged through him.

Birds sang overhead and sunlight shimmered through the leaves of the trees they passed under. Dazzling light filtered over Keith causing a rolling pattern of vivid colour to pass along him. The metal of Fabron’s reins glittered, reflecting the morning light across the hills. The clinking of Keith’s sword sheath against his shield on his back drew in Lance’s attention briefly. Usually, knights wore their swords on their hips, like Lotor, but it wasn’t uncommon to see it hooked to the back too.

Lance kept waiting for Keith to say something, anything at all. He was mostly just expecting it, but nothing ever came. They just rode in silence. Although, Lance could feel Keith’s eyes on him. The feeling stuck with him until he began to feel anxious and weary. There was still something within Lance that told him he needed to be defiant against Keith or else the knight might start to think he had control over Lance, but he also didn’t want Keith to hate him. Lance didn’t like being hated. Maybe that’s why Keith wasn’t speaking? Because he already hated Lance. Whatever Keith was thinking was a complete mystery to Lance and it nagged at him.

Before Lance even knew it, they were already at Kerberos battlegrounds. The path wasn’t exactly a long one, but it definitely shouldn’t have been that fast. Lance was too lost in thought.

A gate loomed over the pair as they began to enter the field. Stone from the archway crumbled to pieces, breaking and falling as vines grew in and around it, forcing it apart. Large cliffsides surrounded the battleground as it was positioned in a bowl-shaped valley which boarded the ocean, next to a mountain. The sun was hidden by the tall rocks impending the empty land, shrouding everything in a steady shadow. The temperature and wind conditions of the water swirled up a light fog, ghosting and crawling across the grass at their horses’ feet. Heavy weaponry had long destroyed the life of many of the trees, leaving nothing but hollow husks barely able to support themselves, but a few were still living, their growth stunted and distorted by the unreliability of the sun.

All in all, the battlegrounds were unnerving.

To some extent, Lance was glad that Keith was there with him. It wasn’t that he was scared necessarily, it was just that he would rather be in the company of someone whose job it was to protect him on this particular occasion. That’s all.

Lance directed Livia to the side of the gate, slowing her from a trot to a walk until she stopped altogether. From his place on the horse, Lance scanned the area. Broken down machines littered the field, some half-way sunken into the ground, most with the main bodies crushed, all deteriorated and beyond working condition. The silence was eerie, leaving a prickling feeling dotting up Lance’s spine.

Fabron meandered up beside Livia and Lance, Keith inspecting the battlegrounds atop the horse’s back. He swung his leg over the saddle before hopping down. His armour straps and the tack of the horse jangled as they were jostled around, cutting through the silence and echoing around the encasing cliff faces. There was a sloshing sound and Lance followed the noise with his eyes. Many years of rain and ocean water flooding over into the cupped cavern had created a sort of swamp under the weaker areas of the ground. The bottom of Keith’s boot was caked in a thin layer of mud and sludge, but he didn’t even stop to check it. Lance grimaced.

A good twelve steps or so away from Lance and the horses, Keith finally turned around, treading backwards as he faced Lance. “Well?” he paused as though waiting for a response. “You wanted to see the trenches. Here we are. You going to explore or you afraid to get your boots wet?” there was a smug lilt in his voice which ticked Lance off.

“Why, because I’m a Prince?” Lance practically leaped off his horse and into the little puddle at Livia’s hooves. He stared right into Keith’s eyes, and with a smirk, he said, “I’ve been to every corner of Altea, all without you. Mud is easier than falling off a log.”

Keith had stopped walking by that point while Lance sauntered to catch up with him. He snorted, “Alright, trailblazer, watch for sinkholes.” And with that, he spun on his heel and disappeared around the corner of a war machine tipped on its side.

For a moment, Lance was struck with panic and he tripped a little bit in an attempt to avoid stepping into a wet patch of grass which very well could have been several feet deep. Then he realized that Keith had said that just to get under his skin and he frowned. Marching away, Lance purposely passed the device he had seen Keith wander past, not letting his eyes look in the direction to see if Keith was still there. The weaponry and the trees towered over him, making him feel smaller in comparison.

Choosing one of the machines which looked easy enough to pry apart as well as climb, Lance jogged up to it excitedly. He had been wanting to travel to this place for weeks and he wasn’t about to let the boy in red fuck it up. Shoving the thoughts of Keith into the far alcoves of his brain, he focused his entire concentration onto the ancient and abandoned mechanics. He wasn’t very good with mechanics, he never had been. Surprisingly, Hunk was a genius of mechanics rivaled only by his outstanding cooking ability. Lance often brought back pieces of equipment for Hunk to inspect and tell him about while he jotted down notes in one of his many Altea notebooks.

Lance climbed up the device and dropped into the side of it where the casing had been blown off. All the insides were bared for anyone to see and Lance grinned, sifting through the many bits and pieces, most rusted or broken off from many years of rotting. He was careful not to scrape his skin on any of the exposed metal endings. Lance wasn’t too crazy about the idea of getting tetanus and having to explain to his father what he had been doing to get it.

He rummaged around amongst the inner workings of the mechanics, searching for anything he found interesting. There were many screws and springs littering the hollow of the inside, nothing that Lance thought was overly important. Then he noticed something in the back, hidden under a collapsed panel, a spherical ball with rings around it. An orange glow was coming from it and Lance carefully climbed through the different compartments of the machine until he was able to grab the ball. Then he retreated back into the open air of the battlefield so he could better see what he had discovered.

Outside the device, the lighting wasn’t better since the sun was still behind the mountain, but the glow wasn’t creepily illuminating the skeletal remains of a destroyed battle weapon. It didn’t shine through the fog very far, getting caught amongst the clouded air less than a foot in front of Lance. Orange colouring painted his hands as he turned it over and over again. There was yellow line through the centre ball where the glow was originating from, over that was a blue, metal strip, and over top of that was a brown piece of metal. They all seemed to be protecting the inner most circle. He had never seen anything even remotely similar to that before and he had no idea what it could be.

“How did you get that?” a familiar voice questioned behind Lance.

Startled, Lance spun around to face Keith, clutching the glowing planetary piece in his hands and unconsciously pulling it closer to his chest. “It was in there,” Lance pointed to the machine they were stood next to. He felt slightly defensive of his discovery.

Keith’s eyebrows furrowed and he glared at the machine in confusion. “Just… sitting there…?” he asked.

“Yeah, why?” Lance frowned, following his line of sight. “You jealous you didn’t find something awesome like me?” he smirked.

Keith didn’t answer for a moment, then he was suddenly stepping really close to Lance. Stumbling backwards and nearly slipping on a puddle, Lance startled. “Can’t find those anywhere…,” he cryptically muttered. His hands moved outwards as if he was about to take the thing from Lance. On instinct, Lance angled away from Keith, shielding the sphere from Keith’s fingerless gloved hands.

Keith paused, staring into Lance’s eyes with surprise. He lowered his hands marginally. “It’s an ancient core,” he explained, stepping back a step. Lance watched him carefully. “Let me show you how it works,” his voice softly suggested. It wasn’t phrased as a question, but the way he said it sounded like one.

Lance stared Keith up and down suspiciously, trying to figure out his angle. There wasn’t one which he could find. And, if Lance was being honest, he was a little bit curious. How did Keith know what it even was? He uncurled himself, bringing the ‘ancient core’ away from his chest. Lance wasn’t going to give it up, not to Keith, not in this lifetime, but he would let Keith show him whatever it was he was going to show him.

Keith slowly moved his hands closer, lightly touching his fingertips to the outside ring of the sphere, sliding a piece over three notches. Then he moved to the middle ring, twisting a nob twice. The centre, he clicked a panel on both sides of the orange line. Finally, Keith trailed his finger over the glowing yellow crevice. He backed up quickly right as the core whirred and opened up in the middle.

Orange light began flooding the entire area, drowning Lance. It was bright, almost unbearably so. Lance was about to drop it out of startled fear, but two hands came up to cover his own. Stern eyes stared directly into Lance’s soul. “Don’t drop it,” the knight muttered.

The light suddenly shot up through the sky, a beacon breaking through the fog and touching the clouds above. Lance watched on in amazement. An umbrella of orange suddenly pooled out, directly above both of the boys’ heads. Star-like projections littered the sky underneath the umbrella of orange, almost like a hologram. Lance wanted to reach out to touch them but Keith’s hands held his in place, and something told Lance that he wasn’t meant to let go anyways.

The stars shifted around, creating a pattern. Then various shades of red and purple mixed in with the orange, outlining the stars and blending into a gradient. “It still has power,” Keith murmured across from Lance. He sounded fascinated. When Lance stole a glance at the boy, his head was up towards the holographic projection and a disbelieving expression was on his face.

“What the hell is this?” Lance found himself asking as he followed Keith’s gaze back up to the stars.

“It’s a giant energy crystal made of compressed Quintessence. It’s a power source for machines. They’re extremely rare since they stopped making them after the war because they have so much energy potential that it was dangerous to keep producing them. Once they quit working, though, that would be it. No more power. One-time use. Quintessence doesn’t last forever.” Keith leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice, “This thing is ten-thousand years old and it still works. Do you understand how insane that is?” he smiled, very small, yet excited.

Overhead, the orange, red, and purple continued to swirl, casting a warm flame across Keith’s soft expression. Lance, despite doing his best to fight the guy, couldn’t help the leap of his heart at the sight. “Why do you know that?” Lance asked back in a murmur.

“My best friend is into this kind of stuff, never shuts up about it. Goddess, she would kill a man to see this,” he seemed almost like he was talking to himself at this point.

Lance pulled the orb out of Keith’s hands slowly. He wanted it for himself, but he wasn’t sure why. Lance wasn’t a selfish person and he could really see how much the thing meant to his knight, but he also wanted to study it. Keith hadn’t found it, Lance had. It was Lance’s. Studying it for scientific purposes was much more important than feeding the guy’s friend’s curiosity.

“Well, I’m glad I found it, then. Wouldn’t want this to fall into the wrong hands, huh?” Lance said curtly.

Keith snapped out of his trance and took a small step back. His face instantly went back to its stoic, blank expression. He didn’t seem angry, maybe a little disappointed? Perhaps Lance was imagining it. He had just met the boy, he couldn’t just suddenly read his mind.

The orange light from the sphere fell from the sky and back into the core, the middle clamping shut and the soft glow returning to the line through the centre. Lance felt a hint of remorse at the fact he wasn’t going to be able to open it back up without asking for Keith’s help. He wasn’t about to do that though. Once again, the fog closed in on them, as if the orange light had warded it away.

Lance tucked the core under his arm, gave one last look at Keith, and then turned and made his way back to the horses. A weird form of guilt ate at the back of Lance’s mind as he tucked the sphere into one of the pouches on Livia. He ignored it. Behind him, he could hear slapping footsteps in the distance. He knew it was Keith, but he wasn’t going to turn around to check. Keith was just doing his job. Well, partially. When Keith found out that Lance was avoiding his training, there would be no more adventuring.

With that in mind, Lance turned back to the graveyard of abandoned machines and trekked through them, searching for anything else interesting and taking in the atmosphere around them. Keith followed behind him in silence. The rest of the trip was silent as well, like that one moment in the battlefield with the core was just a fluke, never to happen again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith's gotta keep  
> One jump ahead of the lawmen  
> That's all and that's no yolk  
> Lance doesn't appreciate he's broke


	5. Team Forest Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pidge! Pidge! Pidge! Pidge! Pidge!

Keith trudged back through the castle after they had returned from the battlegrounds. He was confident that Lance wasn’t going to go out on another adventure as long as he had the core to study, which Keith was not at all bitter about, nope. So, rather than hover around him and waste his time, Keith made his way to the barracks. More specifically, the weapon designs unit next to the barracks. He needed to talk to someone there. The blacksmith, specifically.

Upon entering, he found that there were a few people here and there, mostly looking to pick up weapons which had already been made. They didn’t pay any attention to Keith as he disappeared into the back of the workshop where most of the casts were kept. Sure enough, writing down inventory with an irritated frown, was Pidge. Her hair was naturally wild, but after hours of hard work in such heat, it was everywhere and out of control. Keith couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

Pidge glanced up, clearly about to shout at whoever it was that she would shove them into the oven if they didn’t leave, but before she could, she realized who it was. “Keith, dude, you look like shit!” she laughed. Her eyes sparkled with mirth.

“Pidge, you’re not so bad yourself,” he retorted, taking a seat in the corner stool while she busied herself around her workstation.

She grinned at him before grabbing a mould off the shelf and placing it on a different counter. “You haven’t come to see me in awhile. Why is that, Keith? Been too busy with the royals? Think you’re better than me now?” she teased, feigning hurt.

“No, no. Nothing like that,” he sighed. “The Prince is just really hard to deal with.”

Pidge paused what she was doing to glance over her shoulder and wiggle her eyebrows.

Keith scrunched up his face. “Don’t be weird. You know I don’t live in the gutter like you.”

Pidge snickered in response and turned back to her work.

“He’s making my job more difficult than it has to be because he wants to play Indiana Jones or some shit,” Keith grumbled, draping his upper body across the desk at his right. “All I have to do is follow him when he leaves the castle and make sure he doesn’t get killed. That’s it. That is my job. But he does everything in his power to fight me! He climbed out several windows and ran across the castle roof just so he could get away from me!” He threw his hands up in the air, exasperated.

Across from him, Pidge was laughing as though that was the funniest thing she had ever heard. “Wouldn’t be the first time a boy ran away from you while screaming,” she simpered.

Keith leveled her with a glare. “Hmm. Did’ya write that one down?” he said dryly.

She placed a hand in front of her face and tried to stop snickering but her smile remained as she stared at him. “I’m sorry. Continue.”

“No, no. We were talking about your new career as a comedian. Being a blacksmith is beneath your talents, clearly.” Keith propped his elbow up on the table, resting his chin in his palm as he stared at her.

Pidge put down her work and wandered over behind the desk. She opened a cabinet in the back and handed something from it to Keith. “I said I was sorry, now keep telling me about the runaway Prince.”

Keith inspected the package she had handed him before opening it up. Inside the Tupperware was a bunch of chopped up steak pieces which had been freshly cooked, all in a neat little mountain. Next to them were a few different sauces. It was the most beautiful thing Keith had ever seen. He made an audible whining noise. “What is this?”

Pidge smiled warmly at him, “I wanted to celebrate your new position as the Prince’s appointed knight, because that’s seriously impressive, but now I’m thinking you just need the comfort food. I know you’re weird about your favourite foods.”

Keith had shoved at least seven steak pieces into his mouth by that point and he was happy enough to cry. He didn’t though because Pidge wouldn’t let him forget it if he did. “Pidge, you’re a doll.”

“You’re welcome. Now, Prince Pioneer, what’s his deal? Why’s he running for the hills, literally?” Pidge leaned across the desk, picking a steak piece out, ignoring Keith’s primal grunt in favour of dipping it into the sauce at the side. She popped it into her mouth and returned to her moulds.

“Right, right,” Keith said around his food. He quickly swallowed and continued, “I thought he just hated me or hated being followed. Something that would make sense. But no. He just doesn’t want Alfor finding out he’s avoiding his duties. That’s what the problem was. He nearly got me fired on my first day of work after escaping from me and going to a lake, all because he didn’t want me to tell his dad that he didn’t do his homework,” he expounded incredulously. Keith ate another steak piece.

Smiling from her section of the room, Pidge muttered, more to herself than anyone, “This story just gets better and better.”

Keith hummed around his bite, swallowed, and then narrowed his eyebrows. “Okay, but here’s the part where you feel my anger.”

Pidge squinted at Keith slightly, suspicious yet intrigued. “Go on,” she said carefully.

“We went out to the Kerberos battlegrounds because the fucker wanted to search for whatever the hell. While he was digging around in the ruins, he found an ancient core.”

There was a loud clattering noise as Pidge dropped what she was holding. It thankfully didn’t break but Pidge didn’t care, she was already launching herself across the room, getting up in Keith’s space. “No, he didn’t!” she shouted.

“It was still active,” Keith continued.

“ _No!_ Oh my goddess, you have to be lying! There’s no way! Keith?! _Keith!”_ Pidge shrieked. “ _And you didn’t get it for me?!”_ She began shaking his shoulders, causing him to nearly drop his container of food.

“Stop, _stop!”_ Keith shouted back.

Pidge groaned and draped her back across the desk, knocking things off in the process. “I’d kill a man, Keith,” she whispered.

Keith began chewing another piece of steak. “I know, that’s what I told him. He didn’t care though and now I’m the man who gets killed for it,” Keith agreed.

“I hate him too,” Pidge mumbled dejectedly. After a moment where the only sound was Keith eating – and Pidge occasionally whining – she finally dragged herself off the desk and continued on with her work. She turned to Keith, aiming a pencil at his nose and staring him dead in the eye. “I’ve got an offer for you; I’ll give you something,” she said with dead seriousness.

Keith perked up. He spoke around the steak portions in his mouth, “What something?”

“I’ll make you a demon carver and a feathered edge blade,” she smirked.

“Both of them?!” Keith leaned forward unconsciously, ecstatic.

Pidge huffed a laugh at his enthusiasm. She nodded.

“Pidge, you spoil me!” Keith practically squealed.

“It’s true.”

Keith clicked his tongue before sarcastically commenting, “You’ve never been this nice to me before. When did you turn into my sugar mamma?”

Pidge made a sudden tutting noise then. “Nuh uh, nope! These aren’t free gifts,” she warned.

Sighing, Keith visibly deflated. “Of course not. Your love always has a catch,” he mumbled.

“I want that ancient core, Keith.”

He returned to his steak bits, a flat look on his face. “I’ll see what I can do…,” Keith drawled noncommittally.

“Yes! I’ll get right on your weapons, delivery boy, as long as you can pry that core from Prince Larcenist’s hands.”

Keith snickered at his best friend’s dramatics and going back to his steak cuts, dipping them in the variety of sauces Pidge had provided for him. She really went all out, as she always did. Pidge was a very loving friend, even when she tried to seem cold and apathetic, as though nothing could touch her. Keith had been by her side for years, however, and he knew that she was just unsure how to get close to others, just like Keith himself; it was one of the reasons why they had been drawn to each other and had stayed together for so long at all.

Although Pidge was a blacksmith who had been designing and making weapons for her entire life, she never actually used them. Keith, on the other hand, was a swordsman who was experienced in the use of every weapon that Pidge had and could ever make, which was why she used him to test her new designs. It worked out that way too since Keith absolutely loved getting new weapons to test and use.

They hung out together and talked about their days some more. Pidge told Keith all about her plans for new type of weapon which she had never made before, she showed him drawings of it and spoke about its weight, durability, sharpness, practicality, and everything else which was important. Keith listened intently and gave his two cents where he felt they were due. Overall, he was very excited about Pidge’s blueprints.

 

◊ ◊ ◊

 

It had been a few days since the incident at Kerberos and Lance hadn’t let up on his harshness towards Keith. He felt bad about it though. Keith had said that he wouldn’t let King Alfor know about Lance’s adventures; he would just accompany, protect, and that would be it. So far, Keith had been doing just that. Nothing had attacked them, meaning there was nothing for Keith to protect him from, really. Although, he did pull Lance back away from a cliff he had been about to tumble over once. But the important thing was that, true to his word, Keith didn’t ever speak a word to the King.

That should have been a good thing, except it wasn’t. Well, it was because that’s exactly what Lance wanted, but it also meant that he had been a dick to Keith without any reason at all and Keith probably hated him. He had had that conversation with Hunk already and had been told that Keith was not only a good guy, but also an exceptional fighter, so there was no reason to worry about having him as an appointed knight. That didn’t make Lance feel better though.

Lance had just returned from another exploration in the hills to the south of the castle, Keith was at his heel as always. But this time, Lance was feeling more anxious than usual. He hadn’t been rude to Keith for the last couple days but he also hadn’t been nice either. Everything he had said was just neutral. That was if he said anything at all, sometimes he would just stay silent, and Lance hated staying silent. Lance realized somewhere along the way that he really wanted to be friends with Keith.

He could imagine himself discovering cool rocks and showing Keith, or uncovering something rarer, like another functional piece of technology. Keith would be amazed and make that excited and fascinated face, then he would tell Lance something about the object, show him how it worked, and stare at Lance like he was the entire universe. That’s what Lance wanted. Ever since experiencing just that at the Kerberos battlegrounds, Lance began to realize what he was missing. He knew Keith was attractive, but that was just unfair. There was no way Lance could let it slide without seeing it again.

The only problem with that plan was that he needed Keith to trust him and like him, which he clearly didn’t. Lance was a very kind person, not just by his own opinion, that was just how he was. He could apologize for the mistakes he had made without a hint of difficulty if he was truly in the wrong, he didn’t need help there. When it came to Keith, on the other hand, Lance just couldn’t bring himself to say anything in the way of an apology. It wasn’t because he wasn’t sorry, it was just that Keith had a way of making even the simplest tasks seem daunting.

What Lance needed was a pep talk and some advice. If there was one person who could help him with that, it was Hunk.

But he had exhausted that well of help so his next best bet was Allura.

Lance hurried through the halls, as far away from Keith as he could get, searching for Allura. She was a hard-worker, so it was likely she was in her study, which is exactly where Lance headed. He weaved his way through the halls of the castle, a hint of urgency to his step. Once he was up the stairs and down the hall, he finally made it to Allura’s study. It was right across the hall from Lance’s.

He rapped his knuckles against the door, then stepped back and waited. Lance couldn’t help the anxious bounce of his heels as he tried to listen for Allura’s footsteps. After a moment, the door opened and Allura poked her head out. Once she saw who it was, she smiled and moved aside, gesturing for him to enter.

“Lance!” she exclaimed. “What a pleasant surprise! What brings you here?” She closed the door behind them and her smile faded when she saw the nerves painted across Lance’s face. “Is everything alright?” she asked, her voice coloured with concern.

Lance stared at her for a moment before dropping himself to the couch in the corner as if he had suddenly lost all his bones, a high-pitched whine leaving him as he fell. “No!”

Allura sighed and made her way over to her desk, seating herself at the chair where she could see Lance. “What happened this time?”

“Keith,” he hissed, as if the name itself had offended him.

“Okay. Care to elaborate?” she prodded.

Lance shifted around on the couch, attempting to get comfortable before staring up at Allura. “Do you ever want to fight someone because you’re mad at someone else and need a way to get back at them but then you realize that fighting isn’t the answer and that maybe that person you’re fighting isn’t actually connected to the person you’re actually fighting and you should leave them alone? But, like, you also want to be friends with the person you’re fighting but they already hate you because you fought with them?”

Allura hummed for a moment, imitating someone who was thinking hard about her answer. “I can’t say I have, but I think I know what this is about.” She gave a knowing look which Lance didn’t like. “You want to befriend Keith,” she stated.

Lance sank farther into the couch with a groan, “Yes…”

Allura snickered, “I had a feeling you’d realize that soon.”

“Allura, this is serious! How do you repair a friendship when you were never friends to begin with?!”

She smiled and shook her head in disbelief, “Just take him to Balmera Falls and apologize. He needs to know that you want to start over.”

Lance stared at her as if she had just said the stupidest thing ever. “The reason he hates me is because I go on adventures and your solution is to go on an adventure?”

“Oh, Lance. There’s no way that Keith hates you! He’s probably not very happy with how inconsiderate you’ve been, but I’m sure he doesn’t hate you,” Allura assured, leaning across her knees to pat Lance’s shoulder in a comforting manner.

He hummed for a moment, thinking over what she had said. Then, he nodded slowly, convincing himself that what Allura told him would work. “And you’re sure that he’ll be my friend then?” he hesitantly asked in a meek voice.

“Of course,” Allura answered gently.

Lance smiled back, untangling himself from her couch and standing. He adjusted his shirt in determination. “Tomorrow!” he announced. “I will take Keith to the waterfall tomorrow and apologize! Then he won’t be able to resist my charms!” A new sense of resolve flooded Lance. He could almost imagine himself sitting on the edge of the falls, staring over the drop with Keith at his side, laughing and smiling. Embarrassing as it was, Lance couldn’t help his desire to see Keith’s thrilled expression. All he had seen thus far – aside from the Kerberos battlefield exception – was anger, irritation, indifference, and apathy. He knew it was his own fault too.

Lance left the study, turning to wave at Allura and yell back a quick; “Thanks sis! You’re the best!”

Allura followed behind him to close the door. Just as she was about to shut it, a sly smirk crawled along her face. “Have fun on your date,” she ribbed. Then, with that, she slammed the door before Lance could formulate a response through his blushing, stuttering, defensive demeanor. She left him there with the idea of a date with Keith firmly embedded in his mind; a dangerous thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe now Lance can finally remove the blame stick from up his ass and let love into his heart ! ! !


	6. Long Ways from My Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginnings of friendship are within grasp

Lance picked at the leather of the reins as he led the way along the trail. His palms were a little sweaty from gripping the strap so tightly for so long and he stared up at the sky, squinting as the sun blinded him. It must’ve been the sun that was making him sweat the way he was. There was no way it was the fact that Keith was riding Fabron not ten feet behind him as they made their way to the waterfall where Lance was going to mend the gap in their friendship. That wasn’t it.

He could see the waterfall in the distance, and like the idiot he was, he felt the need to fill the silence that often stretched out between the two of them. Not in a normal human conversation way though, that would make too much sense. Instead, Lance turned on his announcer voice.

“And next up on our tour, we are entering the Balmera region of Altea, founded and named two-hundred years ago in honour of Lady Balmera, who led the medical team in the war and saved more than three-thousand lives. There are five major sections of the Balmera region including Balmera Canyon, Mount Balmera, Balmera Lake, East Balmera, and West Balmera. These are representative of the five years that the war lasted,” Lance shouted back to Keith.

The sound of Fabron’s hooves along the gravel picked up in speed until Keith caught up. Lance hesitantly glanced over at him, not ready for the inquisitive, yet slightly taken aback, expression on Keith’s face.

“Is that all true?” he asked. He didn’t sound angry like he normally did, just curious.

“Yeah,” Lance smiled confidently, despite how nervous he felt, “I’ve been exploring the Balmera region for years. There’s a village – Balmera Village, if you couldn’t guess – and you can learn all sorts of things about the region’s history there. Shay is the geologist there and she will tell you all about the land in the area. Her brother, Rax, he’s a bit of a dick, but if you get him talking about the war two-hundred years ago, he becomes a completely different person.” Lance hadn’t even realized that he had begun to ramble, just gesturing with his free hand, which wasn’t holding the reins while Livia and Fabron carried them along.

Lance continued anyways, “They’re actually descendants of Lady Balmera herself and you can ask anyone in their family about her, they’ll all happily tell you the history. I love their stories, I get them to tell me again every time I visit,” Lance chuckled in happy remembrance, letting his eyes closed. When he opened them again, he saw Keith staring at him, inspecting him with a barely existent smile on his face. Lance’s breath caught in his throat for a second and he played it off as a cough. Keith was really beautiful.

“That’s really interesting, actually,” Keith calmly commented before turning to stare out at the mountain ahead of them.

It was strange for Lance to see Keith not getting mad at him as it rarely happened, but this was also one of the first times that Lance had initiated a conversation that wasn’t mean. Keith was probably a nice guy who just wanted to stop being antagonized.

“Is that where we’re headed?” Keith suddenly asked.

Lance quickly shifted his eyes over to Keith. The other boy was absently checking out their surroundings, not focussed on Lance at all. Lance stared straight ahead again. “No, not today,” he said. Lance expected Keith to ask about where they were going instead but he didn’t. That was alright; it was a secret anyways. And by secret, Lance meant that he was still giving himself enough time to switch directions quickly and abandon the plan entirely.

They rode their horses along the path in silence for the rest of the way. Keith just continued to take in the scenery. Or maybe he was checking for danger. Lance couldn’t really tell. When the waterfall finally came into view through the tall trees, Lance felt his worry rise up his throat again. He instinctively glanced at Keith out of the corner of his eye and saw his knight with an amazed expression. Another surge of pride filled him.

“That’s Balmera Falls,” Lance explained. “We’re going up there.” Lance expected Keith to be a little hesitant about the idea since he wasn’t a fan of Lance’s other adventures, but instead, the corner of Keith’s mouth turned in a challenging half-smile.

“Sounds like a plan,” Keith answered, sounding genuinely intrigued. His eyes remained fixed on the waterfall, scanning it as if he was assessing how he would climb it.

Lance breathed out a small sigh of relief and clacked the reigns of his horse to speed up a little while Keith did the same.

Once at the base, Keith leaped off Fabron and began tying the reigns around a tree branch, securing it in place. Lance did the same for Livia, then hurried over to the edge of the river where the falls dropped into. Keith sauntered up behind him with heavy footsteps and Lance turned to face him.

“Alright, Red Riding Hood! Hope you brought your climbing gear because there are no stairs to the top of that thing.” And with that, Lance spun on his heel and excitedly hurried over to the edge of the mountain where it wasn’t so steep.

“Don’t get yourself killed,” Keith called back, following along behind him.

Lance, already a good two feet away from the ground, made a dismissive sound and shifted his head around as best he could to glare at Keith. “I can climb things like a champ and I won’t have you insulting me like this.” He was five feet from the start.

Keith huffed a sarcastic laugh from the ground where he was still watching Lance. “You’re joking, right?”

In an attempt to stare at Keith angrily, Lance nearly dislodged himself from the rock wall. He made an embarrassing squeak in the process and he could hear Keith chuckle from down below. “Yuck it up down there, Mullet, but I still climbed out of the castle without you noticing,” Lance shot.

Lance couldn’t see from his vantage point, but he was sure that Keith’s silence after that was filled with an embarrassed blush and a hint of shame. One point for Lance.

Then, there was the sound of movement. Fabric shuffling, rocks scraping against something, and a low grunt. Lance pulled away from the mountainside slightly and stared down past his legs. There, he saw Keith climbing up next to him. Not only that, but he was gaining on Lance. An intense look of concentration had overtaken his face; his eyebrows scrunched, his eyes narrowed, his mouth in a thin line, his jaw set. Lance scrambled to reach the top of the falls, if only to beat Keith.

Keith moved with practised grace and certainty, quickly assessing the best place to put his foot so that he could get the best leverage.

Lance was a little bit clumsier in his movements. He was so used to climbing things within the castle where they had intricate designs that Lance could easily stand on. Out in nature, there wasn’t any of that. Lance had climbed things on his own before – this waterfall, for example – but when he was so focused on getting there ahead of his knight, he slipped up a few times. His foot would miss the ledge he aimed for, or his hands wouldn’t get the proper grip in time before he was already rushing to the next one. His long limbs made it a little bit easier though.

Finally, Lance could see the edge of the cliff and he frantically reached his fingers up to touch the top. Using that hand as an anchor, Lance scrambled up the rest of the way. He wasn’t able to make it to the top in time however, because Keith was already shoving himself up and rolling into a crouch. He watched Lance with a glint of amusement in his eyes as Lance heaved himself up until he was seated in the dirt. They both sat there, staring at each other.

“I won,” Lance stated simply.

Keith’s face morphed into one of angry confusion. “I made it to the top first.”

Lance shook his head. “Uh, in case you missed it, I _touched_ the top first,” he corrected.

“That’s bullshit,” Keith argued. He threw his arms up, standing and reaching a hand down for Lance to grab.

Lance accepted it, letting Keith yank him up off the ground. A tinge of warmth spread through Lance’s chest at the contact, not only because he Keith’s hand radiated with heat, but also because that was the first time that Keith had ever willingly touched Lance. That’s what progress looked like. “Sorry, Keith. I don’t make the rules. You shouldn’t be such a sore loser,” Lance tutted.

Keith glared at him, but for once, it wasn’t filled real irritation and hatred. It was a playful kind of glare. “You’re right. Since you’re so obsessed with winning, I’ll gladly toss you over the edge so you can be the first to the bottom too,” he threatened. That playful hint to his expression seeped into the words he spoke, turning them into a josh on Lance’s behalf.

Without meaning to, Lance found himself laughing. Not a ridiculous over-the-top laugh, just a light giggle. “So gentlemanly,” Lance teased.

Keith gave Lance a shove and moved past him towards the waterfall. Lance could see him fighting back a smile as he passed and his heart felt like it was fluttering. He followed along behind Keith, his palms a little sweaty as he thought about how he would have to properly apologize once they got to the edge. Keith came close to the edge, leaning over to look at the falling water pounding against the surface of the river below. He shuffled a little closer, the tips of his shoes hanging over the side of the cliff. Lance could see Keith’s eyes widen slightly at the view. Waterfalls were powerful forces. They were loud too. Not so much at the top, most of the noise came from the impact, but there was still a noticeable hum of rushing water as Lance sat on the rock by the edge and scooted along until his legs dangled off the edge and the back of his knees fit comfortably around the rim.

“Come here, I gotta tell you something,” Lance said, patting the spot next to him and leaning back on his hands.

Keith glanced over, sighed, and settled down next to Lance with the waterfall at his right. “Is this the part where you shove me off and pretend it was an accident?” Keith asked, only slightly jokingly.

Lance snorted, “How did you know?” Then he steeled his expression and shifted around in his seat. “But actually… I just wanted to say that, uh… I’m sorry...,” he muttered, not making eye contact with Keith. He was sure there was a light blush on his face but he tried his best to will it away.

“Hmm,” Keith hummed next to him, staring out at the land below. There was a hill in the distance where the sun had yet to fully rise over and it painted the sky with streaks of pink. Purples and red mingled together with the natural blue. The yellow light of the sun peaked over the hill. A gentle breeze brushed over Keith, prompting him to breathe in deeply.

Lance chanced a look at the other boy when he didn’t answer for a moment. That decision was a mistake, Lance realized, as Keith turned his gaze away from the landscape to meet Lance’s eyes. His violet eyes shone like the purple fluorite crystals in the mountains which Lance had fallen in love with as a child. Sunrise colours washed over him, his face glowing pink and purple, creating dramatic shadows and highlights, like the most gorgeous abstract impressionist portrait that Lance had ever laid eyes upon. His bangs flickered along his forehead as the wind pressed them back.

Along his face, though, was the hint of a smarmy smirk. “What for?” Keith asked in a tone which suggested he knew exactly what the apology was for.

Lance swallowed hard, still overtaken by Keith’s soft beauty. “Don’t be a smartass,” he forced out as snarky as he could – which wasn’t very since he was blushing and his voice was cracking.

Keith didn’t seem to notice though. Instead, he just chuckled to himself before grinning at Lance, satisfied. “No hard feelings,” he said benignly.

It was in that moment that Lance realized that he had fucked up because, as much as he wanted to deny it or hide it, he knew that he had a crush on his appointed knight. There wasn’t a way to hide the way his heart sped up, the way he felt lighter, the way his face heated up. All his thoughts tied back to Keith and every conversation he had nowadays were related to the boy as well. Even when he hated the boy, he still wanted to capture his attention every time he saw him. Lance’s fingers tingled as the crazy idea to hold Keith’s hand entered his mind.

Recovering himself as quickly as he could, Lance added, “As long as you’re nothing like Lotor, we should be fine. He’s not even my knight but he’s still always trying to tell me what to do and snitching on me to my dad. What a dick.”

Keith grunted in irritated affirmation. “I just met him last week and I already hate him,” he disclosed.

“Exactly!” Lance exclaimed, throwing his hands up and nearly hitting Keith in the process. “Like, Lo-torment someone else, would you?” he joked. Keith snorted, not ready for the joke. “Talking to him is such a Lo-torrid experience. Actual Lo-torture.”

“Stop, these are terrible,” Keith guffawed, shaking his head while smiling. It stirred up more warmth and happiness within Lance and he stared openly at the boy.

Suddenly, Keith’s eyes shifted past Lance and they widened. He lunged toward Lance, yanking the Prince into his chest. Lance let out a startled yelp, completely confused and disorientated. A rush of air hissed behind Lance’s head, too fast for Lance to understand what was going on. All he understood was that Keith was holding him like their lives depended on it, then he was tugging Lance to his feet and shoving him behind Keith’s back. Lance watched as Keith slid his sword out of the sheath on his back in one swift motion, his body dropped into a defensive position, ready to fight. An arrow was embedded in his left hand, piercing through his leather gauntlet and into his skin. That was what the noise was, Lance realized.

Over Keith’s shoulder, Lance could see three people standing in similar stances to Keith. They were dressed from head to toe in purple suits with armour over top. Black masks adorned their faces with the purple mark of Zarkon on them. One of them had a bow with a quiver on their back, while the other two held khopeshes. The Galra. Dread and panic consumed Lance as he stared at them. The Galra had never come to the Balmera region. They never left their empire. Yet, there they were, on top of the Balmera Falls.

Lance instinctively began moving backwards and behind some boulders that were at his side. He tried to drag Keith away with him for both their safety, but Keith just shrugged him off and clenched his fists with more grit. Panic bubbled up inside of Lance as he watched. A desperation scratched at him, telling him to call to Keith and urge him away from the imminent fight. Maybe if they hurried, they could get away and back to the castle before the Galra could reach them. Before he could, however, one of the Galra rushed forward at Keith.

Swiftly unlatching his shield from his back, Keith brought it around and up in a single fluid motion, blocking the hit from the Galra just in the nick of time. A loud clank echoed when the khopesh landed, sounding louder in the anticipating silence as Lance crouched behind the rock, witness to the battle. At that point, all hell broke loose and the tension snapped like a thread.

Keith stabbed his sword out from behind the shield, attempting to land a hit on the Galra warrior. It grazed across their arm as they leaped back.

The Galra with the bow shot at Keith, aiming for his unprotected face. Each arrow was blocked or dodged but Lance’s hands still itched to help. He couldn’t just sit back and watch as Keith sliced at the Galra’s khopesh while defending himself from the arrows. Keith twirled his blade in his hand, landing a good slash along the opponent’s knee. They stumbled. None of them spoke or made any noise except for the sounds of them moving, quiet like the wind. All Lance could hear were the sounds of Keith grunting and metal on metal. Keith’s feet scraped along the dirt as sword met khopesh. The Galra was stronger than Keith, forcing him back.

It dawned on Lance that he had lost track of the third Galra member. He glanced around frantically, his heart beating out of his chest and his hands shaking. As much as he tried to keep his breathing in check, it was difficult in his terror.

A dark figure loomed over him. Lance yelled, falling out of his crouch and crawling backwards as quickly as he could, hysterical with fear. His eyes were trained on the suited figure swiping at him with a glinting blade.

“Lance!” a deep voice cried out. Lance quickly turned as he heard the choked yelp of pain right after. Keith had dropped his sword, stumbling back, clutching his forehead with one hand and guarding his body with the shield in the other. The Galra slashed out, attempting to get around his shield to no avail. Keith regained himself quickly, slamming the shield into the Galra. He turned. Lance could see the blood trickling down his forehead and over his cheek when he removed his hand. It glistened in the sun, a sickening stream of red.

A shadow covered Lance’s body, alerting him to an incoming blow. Lance braced. He clenched his eyes shut.

Before it could land, Keith slipped a throwing knife from a pouch on one of his straps and lugged it at the Galra above Lance. It hit their chest with a resounding thud, causing them to stumble back. In that time, Keith rushed forward, grabbing his sword from the ground. He swung it around, using the force of his weight to drive the sword. A squelch punctured the air as the bevel lodged itself into the Galra’s side. The force nearly sent them both over the edge of the cliff. Keith gritted his teeth and kicked the Galra hard in the stomach, pressing as hard as he could until the sword levered free. Over the drop-off, the Galra fell. They screamed; the first sound any of them had made.

Keith dropped to his knee right in front of Lance, catching his breath. Disorientation captured Keith’s mind for a moment, stealing him from the present time. Panting, Keith lifted his head, locking his gaze with Lance. Everything slowed. Genuine concern and fear in Keith’s eye, hidden behind a savage determination, they stared at each other. It scared Lance, this new expression he had never seen, but it also lit a fire inside him.

The moment was quickly broken as an arrow flew through the air from behind Keith. It drove itself into Keith’s back, causing him to release a startled huff of air.

No more hesitation, Keith whipped around, rushing the archer. He used the shield to save himself from the arrows and all the bowman could do was try to escape. The Galra was fast, evading Keith well enough.

 _Clank!_ Khopesh Galra came up behind Keith, pulling his attention away from the archer. Keith slashed and hacked at the Galra. Sweat rolled down his forehead and his jaw quaked with each grunt forced out of him. His arms shook from the force of the Galra’s weapon knocking his. The arrow was still in Keith’s back, cut right through the fabric of his dark red tunic, matching the bent on in his left hand. It seemed as though he would be overpowered, but the infuriated resolve in Keith’s expression as he assessed the swordsman in front of him assured Lance that they might both be alright.

The archer shot again and again, grazing Keith at most, thanks to the shield. Abruptly, Keith spun, keeping his shield trained on the archer but twisting his body to stand next to the Khopesh Galra. He yanked his sword back, smashing the pommel into their mask. It disorientated them for a moment, giving Keith the chance to do it again, right in their neck. Although dull, the pommel dealt a lot of damage when rammed into the trachea at high speeds. The Galra sputtered but still attempted to swipe Keith with their khopesh. It never connected before Keith was plunging his sword into the leg of the Galra. With much difficulty, he yanked it out and stumbled away, still protecting himself from the arrows.

Satisfied, Keith stood for a moment, watching as the Galra stumbled, quickly losing consciousness as blood leaked down their leg from their thigh. Lance couldn’t watch, it was too much for him. Instead he stared at Keith. The knight’s eyes shifted to the side and he slowly turned, keeping his shield up. Then, with practiced precision, Keith spun, dropped his shield, and charged the bowman. There was no time for recovery. He was close enough that his sword could reach and the archer had no time to make a move. Keith swung. The sword latched itself shallowly into their back. Sheer force from the hit was enough to upset their footing and they tumbled to the dirt.

Keith loomed over them, holding his sword with two hands and raising it up. Lance knew what he was about to do and dropped behind the boulder again right before Keith plunged the point into the base of their neck at the back. There were a couple minutes of sloshing and tearing as Keith removed his sword, then his booted footsteps shuffled toward Lance’s hiding place.

Calmly and steadily, Keith kneeled next to him and placed a reassuring hand on his upper arm. Lance hadn’t realized until that moment that his entire body was shaking from adrenaline, but he stared at the hand before shifting to stare at Keith. The gash was still on his head with dried blood outlining it. A crusted course of blood trailed along the side of his face, narrowly missing his eye. Arrows were still in him; his back and his hand, blood dripping from them as well. His red tunic was coated in sweat, blood, and dirt. Behind him, Keith had dragged his sword and shield closer. They were also glazed with blood.

But Keith didn’t pay those any mind. Instead, he quietly seated himself in the dirt beside Lance and held his chin in his calloused, uninjured hand. Lance was still in shock from the suddenness of the fight, but he was slowly coming down from the high and realizing what was going on. Keith gently shifted Lance’s head around, staring angrily and intensely at his skin.

“Checking me out, huh, Keith? You should catch your breath first before I steal it away,” Lance teased, lidding his eyes. His voice was hoarse from disuse and he didn’t feel into it when he could smell the blood of two dead people not four feet from him permeating through the air.

Keith wasn’t fazed. He glared even harder at Lance, his eyebrows dipping down lower, making him appear older and more worn than Lance had thought possible. “Shut up,” he ordered harshly. His eyes roamed Lance’s body. He was checking for blood stains or other injuries, Lance knew that, but he still felt insecure and hot with those eyes on him. Then, in a softer tone, which was still laced with irritation, Keith added, “Are you hurt anywhere?” That shocked Lance back to reality.

“Am I hurt?” Lance asked disbelievingly. “Are you serious? Of course I’m not hurt! You’re littered with arrows and you’re asking if I’m okay?” Lance, on shaking legs, moved closer to Keith, grabbing his left hand to investigate the arrow wound.

“I’m fine, Lance,” Keith sighed, aggravated at being taken care of.

After moving around so much, the shaft and fletching of the arrow had been shifted and knocked. As a result, the arrow head, although small, had practically mangled the inside of Keith’s hand and opened the wound entrance considerably. Blood soaked into the leather of his gauntlet and Lance was hesitant to touch it. Lance winced at the injury, even though most of it was covered by the gauntlet. He didn’t want to make it worse so he left it. “You’re not fine. Doesn’t this hurt?” he gestured to the arrow, still holding Keith’s hand lightly.

Keith stared at the arrow, scrunching up his face in discomfort. “A little bit, now that my adrenaline rush is gone,” he admitted.

“What about your back?” Lance inquired. He released his hold on Keith’s hand and shuffled around to check the other arrow.

“Graphene.”

Lance met Keith’s eyes. “What?”

“My armour. It’s like knight’s armour, but stronger, lighter, smaller, and easier to move in. The arrow didn’t reach me.” Keith reached his good hand up to his shoulder and pulled down the sleeve of his tunic. It panicked Lance a little bit at first, but then he saw the thin layer of black material which clung tightly to Keith’s body. “I test things out for the armourer,” he added. Parts of it were visible from below his tunic like on his arms, legs, and the neckline of his tunic, but Lance had just assumed Keith was wearing underclothes, not armour.

“So, what I’m hearing is that it’s not certified armour and you’re a lab rat?” Lance narrowed his eyes in trepidation and scooted to Keith’s back anyway. Keith sighed, but didn’t make a move to stop him. When Lance carefully investigated the arrow, he found that it wasn’t embedded in Keith’s skin like he had thought, but rather, it was in Keith’s armour and tunic, barely being held in place at all. Lance yanked it out, relieved that Keith wasn’t hurt but still annoyed that Keith was right.

Lance moved back around Keith, caressing Keith’s cheek – pure self-indulgence – as he guided his face down in order to reach the cut on Keith’s forehead. He was sure he had seen a light blush flourish across Keith’s face when he touched the knight before he ducked Keith’s face down, but he couldn’t be sure.

Lance brushed his fingers over the head wound, barely touching it. Keith flinched at the contact but he didn’t say anything. It wasn’t very wide, but it was deep, Lance was sure of that. Luckily, the bleeding had slowed, but one nudge could potentially open it up again. Still, it would need medical attention.

“Yup, that’s going to need stitches,” Lance grimaced. He released Keith’s cheek, allowing the boy to move back and away from Lance. Keith was more or less alright and Lance could feel himself calm, relaxation in his bones. Then, suddenly, Lance slapped Keith in the arm.

“Ow! What?” Keith yowled, more in surprise than actual pain.

“Really? ‘What?’ you say, as if you didn’t just nearly get yourself killed,” Lance shook his head.

Keith scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I didn’t nearly get killed.”

“Then what is this, Keith?!” Lance shouted, gesturing to the arrow in Keith’s hand.

Glaring, Keith lifted his hand up so the fletching was a hair’s breadth from Lance’s nose. “Long ways from my heart, Lance, I’m not going to die.”

Lance, while staring directly into Keith’s eyes, lightly poked the shaft of the arrow. As expected, Keith flinched back, yanking his hand away. “You know you’re not immortal, right?” he scolded as Keith cradled his hand.

“ _You_ know the intention wasn’t to die, right? I had it under control,” he huffed, pouting and crossing his arms over his chest, careful not to bump the arrow. He really needed to get back to the castle for help with that.

“That’s not the point!” Lance tossed his hands up. “Keith! You don’t get it! There’s a fine line between courage and recklessness, and you crossed it. You just,” he made a vague swooping hand motion, “launched yourself right over that line, swords blazing and plans forgotten!”

Keith leaned forward abruptly and shoved two of his fingers into Lance’s neck. Lance startled, but he didn’t pull away. “Oh, interesting,” he commented sarcastically.

“What’re you doing?” Lance angrily asked, voice squeaking half way through.

“You have a pulse. You’re alive. Looks like I did my job and you’re wrong,” Keith gave a half-shrug, frowned at Lance, glowering. Then, he looked away to angrily face the hill where the sun had finally found its way into the sky.

Lance stared back for a moment before slapping Keith’s arm again. “You’re missing the point!”

“Ah, fuck. Would you–?” he cut himself off to lean over and smack Lance’s arm as hard as he could, “Would you piss off?! You’re dealing more damage than the Galra did!” Keith scowled.

Lance rubbed his own arm. “I didn’t do it that hard! You just punched me, you asshole!” Lance punched Keith in the arm again.

Keith threw himself backwards to avoid the hit, landing on his elbow and kicking his boot out at Lance. “Asshole? I saved your life!”

Lance grabbed Keith’s ankle, restricting his movements. “Please! I can hold my own! I can deal the ol’ one-two!” he jokingly put up his fists, letting Keith’s leg drop into his lap.

“You can’t even win against my foot,” Keith laughed.

“Can to!” Lance countered.

Keith kicked the top of his foot into Lance’s side. Lance grunted in surprise and tumbled over, not having enough time to catch himself before eating dirt. Laughter rang out from Keith as he let his elbow collapse, dropping into the dirt and sprawling out. Even from Lance’s place in the dirt, he didn’t really mind as he listened to Keith laugh with his eyes clenched shut and his hair sprawled out around his head.

Then he rolled his head over to stare at Lance with a smarmy smirk on his face. It made Lance feel as though Keith could discern all his inner thoughts just by staring at him and his face heated against his will. Blood trickling down Keith’s forehead from where his wound had reopened quickly drew in Lance’s attention, however, and he pushed himself to his feet.

“You need help,” he stated, holding out his hand for Keith to take. Keith accepted, pulling himself up. They stood staring at each other for a second, hands still clasped. “You could also use some medical attention,” Lance added with a grin.

A hard shove to the chest from Keith, followed by a faux exasperated, “Shut up,” and then Keith was packing up his gear.

As Lance waited for Keith to finish clipping his shield to his back, his gaze wandered over to the two dead bodies on the ground where Keith had left them. Blood had pooled out around the thigh of one and the neck of the other, but it had ceased its flow. Their hearts had stilled. When the sun reached its peak, the blood would bake, welding the corpses to the ground. Lance couldn’t even begin to imagine the smell and he shuttered.

“Are you alright?” Keith’s voice cut through Lance’s thoughts.

“Yeah,” Lance deflected easily. “It’s just… these attacks are getting more frequent… And they’re spreading. Galra never come out this far.” Keith followed Lance’s gaze to the bodies. He grimaced. “Zarkon’s probably planning something…”

They both stared at the dead Galra in silence for a moment, processing what these attacks meant for the kingdom as a whole. Then, Keith turned and quietly walked past Lance, not waiting for him to catch up. The carefree atmosphere from before had dissipated and in its wake, came worry and foreboding.

After another sparing glance at the dead, Lance let himself fall into step beside Keith as they made their leave down the trail to the grounds where they left their horses. It was agreed that maybe climbing wasn’t the best idea for either of them in their current state and they saved the race to the bottom for another time.

Lance mounted Livia, settling himself in and preparing to return to the castle. His eyes caught on a purple glean by the base of the waterfall, however, and his curious eyes latched onto the source. It was the third Galra, pierced on one of the sharper rocks there. Their body was askew, likely mangled and broken from the fall, and the imprint of Keith’s sword stay firmly fixed into their side.

Lance had to look away, not because he was weak or squeamish, but because he couldn’t stand to see a human being in that state, even if they were the enemy.

“I have to report this to the general. He’ll get some knights out here to remove the bodies,” Keith commented before clacking the reins, Fabron trotting away with Lance and Livia in tow.

Lance made attempts to lighten the mood the entire way back to the castle, asking Keith questions and answering them for himself as well. Some questions seemed too personal, like Keith’s family or why he became a knight. Those questions were shrugged off or side-stepped and Lance quickly learned not to ask again. Others were easy enough though. He discovered Keith’s favourite colour, song, book, weapon, season, and even pried out a few stories about his best friend, Pidge Holt, who he had known for quite some time.

Although the conversation was flowing naturally, Keith didn’t seem as light-hearted as he was back at the waterfall, but at least he was still humouring Lance.

Once or twice, Lance asked if Keith’s hand was doing alright or how his forehead wound faired. Of course, he did it discreetly and with a guise. Something along the lines of “I’d race you to the castle, but we don’t need you taking a tumble because of your head wound _and_ losing. That would just be embarrassing.” It tricked Keith into admitting the state of his injury and that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If y'all were thinking about leaving a comment, those are the fuel of my soul, so don't be afraid to do that.


	7. Keith to the Rescue, yet Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could it be??? Shiro???

Lance stared out the window as the sun began to lower into the horizon. The sky had darkened awhile ago but Lance was still stuck in the library doing the homework he had been putting off for weeks. Darkness slithered around the room, scratching at the table where Lance sat, warded away by the desk lamp. Open books were strewn across the table in front of Lance, forgotten and uncared about. Lance had finished nearly all of his studies, he just had a few more things to write and one more chapter to read. Except, he really didn’t have it in him to continue.

It wasn’t that Lance was tired, because he wasn’t. The exact opposite actually. He hadn’t been allowed to leave the castle for the past three days since he and Keith had come back with injuries and stories of Galra warriors. The King, in an attempt to keep his son safe, no longer allowed Lance to leave. Just homework and training, all day, every day, for three days.

Lance wasn’t enjoying this.

The King didn’t like when Lance left, that much was obvious, but he had never put him on house arrest. That was before he had had the attempt on his life though. Lance was sure that he would be allowed to go out again soon, but it wasn’t soon enough.

Sighing, Lance stared down through the windows at the guards standing near the entrances as well as Lance’s designated escape windows. They were just trying to protect him. Whatever.

Across the room, the door to the library opened up with a loud creak which echoed through the high-ceilinged space. Light from the hall spilled into the library, revealing the featureless silhouette of someone. Their boots tapped along the tile floor until they were standing on the other side of the table. Lance, although not wanting to deal with other people while he was so drained, was thankful for the distraction. He shuffled in his seat and rested his chin on the palm of his hand.

With his hip propped against the chair and his arms crossed over his chest, Keith stared at Lance.

He looked tired, even though his eyes were as clear and sharp as always. His hair was up in a ponytail though, which was a new – and very good – change from his usual mullet. Keith was wearing his crimson tunic, typical, but he didn’t have his gear strapped to his back, his gauntlets were missing and replaced with bandages, and rather than wearing his under armour, he wore loose fitting black pants. The bandages on Keith’s forehead were smaller than they had been on the day of the fight. It was the first time that Lance had seen Keith looking so casual, his outfit flowing over his body like a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

“Are you still working on that?” Keith asked in a low voice, skimming over the papers on the table even though they were upside down from his perspective.

Lance groaned and ran his hand over his face. “Yes!” he whined. “This is so boring!”

“It can’t be that bad…,” Keith tried, attempting to sound encouraging.

With an expression only someone in true academic pain could muster, Lance gestured to everything on the desk. “Pick any single sheet and try to read the entire thing without wanting to leap out this window right here,” challenged Lance, tapping his finger into the glass of the window he had been looking out.

Keith raised an eyebrow, reached over the chair, and grabbed a piece of paper from one of the countless, unorganized piles. He began to read, “Politics in social and economic development, including both national and international policies, are– Fucking hell. Nope, you’re right. That’s unbearable,” he grumbled at the sheet in his hand before dropping it carelessly back where he found it.

“Keeeeeeith!” Lance drew out the knight’s name as he slid over the table, crumpling and bending sheets while shoving others off the edge entirely. “I can’t do this. I’m withering away to nothing, just skin and bone! My soul is leaving my body!” Lance writhed around on the wooden desk, closing his eyes and waving his arms around above his head. Things clattered to the floor. “I think this is it, this is the end. I can see the light!” he reached across the table and grabbed Keith’s arm, pulling it out of its crossed position. “Keith? Is that you?” he stared blankly past Keith as though he couldn’t see him at all.

“You’re so overdramatic,” Keith muttered, amused.

Lance crawled onto the table, sitting on his textbooks and worksheets. He lightly tapped Keith’s face, ignoring his sputtering, still looking past him. Keith grabbed Lance’s wrists, trying to pry him away, but not with a lot of effort. Lance went on anyways. “If I don’t make it, I have to tell you… I need you to know…” He leaned closer so he could whisper into Keith’s ear. Keith tensed. Lance opened his mouth, ready to speak, breathing lightly on Keith’s ear. “You need a haircut,” Lance snickered.

Keith tightened his grip on Lance’s wrists and pushed him back, away from Keith’s personal space. Lance smiled at him as if he had just told the best joke in the world. With a flat look highlighted by a deep flush, Keith released his hold on Lance and began to exit the library once again.

“Have fun with your government politics,” he called.

Lance screeched, “Wait! Wait, wait! Dude, you can’t just leave me here to suffer! You’re supposed to protect me from harm!” He swung his legs down, dangling them over the edge as he sat on the desk. “C’mon, buddy, pal, friend!”

Luckily, Keith slowed his walk and turned back to stare at Lance, unimpressed. “I’m not doing your homework for you,” he said, unmoved by Lance.

“Nah, man. I’m done with this garbage,” Lance groaned as he flicked a pencil across the desk. “Just come hang out with me!”

“I have better things to be doing,” Keith jutted his hip out.

Lance snorted, “Like what?”

“Training.”

“With your busted hand? I don’t think so,” Lance said, hopping off the desk and sauntering over to Keith, with his apathetic expression. “If you make that face all the time it’ll stick that way,” he teased. “Loosen up, Keith, let’s go do something!”

Keith stared at him for a moment, contemplating, deciding. Lance tried his best to entice Keith with his smile. Keith’s eyes narrowed as he seemed to come to a decision. “Alright,” he relented, “we’re going outside so grab a jacket.” Keith spun around and headed for the door again.

“Uh, hate to burst your bubble there, Keith, but I can’t leave the castle,” Lance reminded, following quickly with confusion painted clear across his face. He didn’t bother to shut the light off or clean up his work since he knew that it would still be there when he returned. They exited the room and Keith picked up the pace, speed-walking down the hall with Lance jogging to keep up behind him.

“We’re not leaving the castle,” Keith answered simply.

Lance’s face scrunched up even more. “What?”

Rather than an explanation, Lance just received a mischievous grin from Keith before he rounded a corner and hurried off, expecting Lance to follow. Keith led them through the castle and up the stairs, passing various rooms and halls. He didn’t bother to address any of the people they passed in the hall but Lance smiled and waved as he always did, making up for Keith’s dismissal.

Finally, they arrived on the top floor of the castle and Lance was still thoroughly lost as to what the plan was. “We’re going outside, but we’re not leaving the castle, but now we’re on the top floor,” Lance narrated. “Is this a riddle?” he playfully asked.

Keith slowed down in the middle of the hallway, inspecting the windows along the wall. “Nope, just a loophole.” And with that Keith smirked at one of the windows and pressed his hands up against it, pushing as hard as he could.

“What’re you doing?” Lance leaned closer.

“Something I’m not supposed to. Keep watch or we’re both going to be on lockdown for awhile,” Keith gritted out as he heaved more of his weight onto the window.

Surprised at first, Lance rapidly regained himself and hurried to the corner so he could watch the stairs from around a wall. There was something even more exciting about the already interesting adventure when you added the element of it needing to be a secret. Lance often had to sneak out to do the things he wanted to, but that was before he had Keith by his side; a partner in crime to make it really thrilling. He grinned.

“This is so cool! Like a spy mission! Just call me 007,” Lance gave a charming wink at no one.

“More like Austin Powers,” Keith mumbled behind him.

Lance frowned, “Okay, I was going to ask if you wanted to be Jack Bauer or Jason Bourne, but you just like to ruin everything and now I’m going to be James Bond on my own.” Keith didn’t respond, just continued on with the window. “Why do they all have the initials J.B.? Do you think Justin Bieber is a spy? Oh my goddess, the Jonas Brothers… I knew it…,” Lance rambled.

Behind him, there was a soft chuckle from Keith. “Julia Child was a spy. She’s one letter off though,” he commented.

“What? Julia Child? No way! Like, butter-is-better, drop-utensils-on-the-floor, shove-it-in-a-bag-and-hit-it-with-a-rolling-pin, basically-Hunk-in-disguise. _That_ Julia Child?” Lance chortled.

“It’s true,” Keith insisted, through his laughter. There was a creak behind Lance and he turned back to see that Keith had managed to get the glass pane opened. The cold air of rushed through the window, ruffling Keith’s bangs. A small satisfied smile played at his lips and Lance got distracted momentarily by the boy.

The quiet clacking of footsteps echoed up the staircase at the end of the hall that Lance was hiding behind. He whipped around to stare down the hall and check who it was. Keith was still fiddling with the window, completely unaware. As the person appeared at the top of the stairs, Lance choked down a squeak that threatened to breach his lips and hurried back towards Keith. He slammed right into the boy, causing them both to tumble into the window.

“Ow! Lance, what the hell are–”

Lance quickly shoved his finger against Keith’s lips and shushed him. “The general is coming!” Lance whispered as loudly and frantically as he could.

Keith’s eyebrows shot up and he quickly closed the window, leaving it open just enough that he wouldn’t need to fight with it to get it back open again later. He glanced around, trying to find an excuse for what they could possibly be doing on the top floor at night when the Prince was supposed to be studying. Lance wasn’t doing much better.

Right as the general rounded the corner, Lance managed to prop his elbow onto the windowsill and jut his hip out to an unnatural extent. Keith leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his shoulders hiked up to the nines, and his foot on the wall, looking just as out of place as Lance.

“And then I said, ‘Not with my umbrella, you don’t!’” Lance declared loudly. Keith laughed obnoxiously fake in response, as if he had never heard of laughing until that moment and was trying it out for the first time. Lance copied, just as ridiculously.

The General had stopped walking to stare at them both in confusion. Lance and Keith simultaneously turned to face him, giving awkward grins; Lance’s spreading farther than his face would naturally allow, and Keith just basically grimacing.

“Evening, Prince Lance, Keith,” the general spoke cautiously.

“Shiro, what a coincidence meeting you here,” Keith casually greeted. Except not casual at all.

The general – Shiro, apparently – stared at Keith, narrowing his eyes before shifting over to Lance. He knew something was up. Nothing about this situation said ‘Everything is fine here.’ Finally, he sighed, “Keith, is what you’re doing legal?”

“I mean, it’s not _illegal_ ,” Keith shrugged.

Shiro took a deep breath. “Is it safe?”

Keith cringed, “Um… For me or Lance?”

There was a pleading look in his eyes as he stared at Keith. “Is it stupid?”

“Define stupid.”

Shiro ran a hand down his face in exasperation. “Alright then. I didn’t see a thing, didn’t hear a thing, but please don’t get Prince Lance killed,” he reasoned.

Keith nodded, “Yes, sir.”

“And Prince Lance,” Shiro turned to Lance, who had been watching the whole exchange with amusement. “Don’t let him get himself killed either.”

Lance saluted, “Aye, aye, Captain! You can count on me!” Shiro shook his head and Keith snorted quietly next to him.

“Fantastic,” he said dryly. “Anyways, Keith, how’re your injuries?” Shiro inquired. 

“Shiro, I’m fine,” Keith assured. He held his bandaged hand out and waggled his fingers. “Fully functional,” he said.

Shiro smiled at that. “That’s good. Keep up the training and you’ll be healed in no time,” the general praised. Keith gave a half-smile. “Well, I have to go now, but try not to get into too much trouble. As long as neither of you get injured, nothing gets damaged, and you’re both back to your duties tomorrow, then I never saw you here.”

Lance and Keith nodded and watched as Shiro made his way down the hallway as he had originally meant to. Once Shiro rounded the corner, out of sight, Lance quickly turned to the window.

“Back to the mission! Agents Bullet and Mullet; the dynamite duo!” Lance exclaimed.

“Don’t you mean ‘the dynamic duo?’” Keith asked, screwing his face up in confusion.

Lance scoffed, “If I had meant ‘dynamic’ I would have said ‘dynamic,’ Keith.”

“Whatever, _Bullet_ ,” Keith sarcastically pronounced the name.

Then he pushed the window open and kicked one leg up onto the windowsill and ducked through the window. He used the glass pane to climb up onto the roof. He reached his hand out to Lance once he was up. Lance didn’t hesitate, he just grabbed Keith’s hand and let the boy heave him up. They both sat on the edge for a moment. Keith carefully stood, slinking along the shingles to the very top of the castle. Lance scrambled after him. Once Keith was satisfied with their spot, he settled himself on his back and stared up at the stars. Lance sat next to him and leaned back.

Keith didn’t say anything, he just stared up at the sky. Lance didn’t mind the silence though, he was enthralled by the night. Stars had already begun to pepper the darkness, pinpoints in the solid, opaque, obscurity, letting in the light. Ethereal was the shimmering of the constellations overhead. Pulsating and twinkling with secrets of far off lands, new adventures which Lance could only ever dream of. They winked at him.

A tiny sliver of glowing grey light framed the edge of Lance’s vision and he turned to investigate. The moon, waxing, shrouding the kingdom land in a gentle blue radiance. Not much could be seen in front of Lance with how dark it was, but the moon at least provided minimal illumination.

It wasn’t too cold, not enough to need a jacket, but Lance was grateful that Keith was there, radiating with warmth. Lance resisted the urge to shuffle closer, afraid that it might destroy the atmosphere around them. It almost felt surreal to be on the roof with Keith, staring at the stars above in silence.

Lance’s heart had slowed into a steady rhythm. He could hear it in his ears over the silent whoosh of the wind. Keith’s breathing was also in the soft mix of sound. Everything felt louder when neither of them spoke and all was still. Lance swallowed, his ears locking onto the sound as he did. A soft voice cut through the tranquil air.

 _“When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun,_ ” Keith whispered, barely audible, even with the lack of background noise.

“Romeo and Juliet?” Lance asked in a murmur.

Keith hummed in conformation.

“Trying to romance me, Keith?”

“Wha– _No_. The stars just reminded me of it,” defended Keith.

Lance looked to Keith, memorizing the way he looked with the bloom of red on his cheeks and his eyebrows narrowed in annoyance. The way his hair splayed out around his head but his bangs still fell over his crystal eyes. His bandaged hand rested over his stomach while his other just laid by his side. It was calm and gentle the way Keith blushed up at the sky, studying the stars instead of Lance.

He wasn’t sure when, but Keith’s irritated expressions, crass way of speaking, and the way he challenged Lance in playful manners, had all become much more endearing to Lance than he had thought they’d ever be. At first, Lance couldn’t stand those aspects of Keith, but now that he was friends with the knight, he realized that it wasn’t because Keith was trying to fight him, it was just how Keith was, and that was somehow very intriguing for Lance.

“You like Shakespeare?” Lance asked, leaning his head slightly closer to Keith so his voice could be heard. He could have just spoken louder, but then he wouldn’t have an excuse to move closer.

Keith continued to stare at the stars, even as Lance watched him. “Not really, my mother just read it a lot. Shiro was a lot more into it than me.”

“Shiro, like, the general…?” Lance furrowed his eyebrows.

Keith hummed again, “My brother.”

“What?!” The quiet was broken as Lance shouted. “The general is your brother?! Is that how you got this job? ‘My uncle owns this Walmart but I got this summer job on my own.’ That’s you!”

“Shut up. I got this job because I’m qualified,” he corrected.

“You lost a hand while fighting, so I beg to differ,” Lance argued.

Keith smacked Lance’s chest with the back of his injured hand then. “Lost my hand…,” Keith muttered.

Lance hit Keith back, laughing good-naturedly. Which prompted Keith to smack him again. It slowly dissolved into the both of them just hitting each other and trying to dodge. They were both laughing and tumbling around the roof, shoving and pushing each other gently. Losing his footing, Keith slipped partway down the sloped roof, letting out an embarrassing yelp before catching himself. Lance laughed, but instantly stopped when a hand gripped around his ankle and yanked him down. He quickly reached his hands out, latching onto Keith’s shoulders, startled.

“You’re a dick,” Lance said through his laughter.

Keith didn’t respond, he just raised an eyebrow, but there was a slight smile on his face nonetheless.

Overhead, the stars continued to flicker, the only light visible to them. Lance struggled to make out Keith’s features in front of him. He could barely see the red of Keith’s tunic and the strong details of his eyes. They didn’t speak anymore for a moment, just squinted into the night at each other, attempting to make anything out.

Lance became aware of how close they were now, with his hands gripping Keith’s shoulders, probably too hard. Unlike all the other times, the emotions didn’t assault him in an onslaught, like an unwanted reminder, they just slowly seeped into his awareness. Time felt slower and every movement felt charged. Sweat began to accumulate on Lance’s palms, making him self-conscious. His eyes shifted around, refusing to look in one spot for too long.

He was leaning in, painfully slowly and with a fogginess in his eyes, as if he wasn’t fully aware of what he was doing. Keith almost seemed like he was doing the same, prepared to meet Lance in the middle. No, he was probably just trying to see Lance’s face better, nothing more. Lance tried to convince himself not to hope, not to want, but it was really difficult when he couldn’t pull himself away.

They were inches from each other, closer than they had ever been, and all Lance wanted was to eliminate the gap. Each breath mixed and mingled in between them, creating the illusion of touch, but just not quite there yet. Lance hoped Keith couldn’t hear his heart beating out of his chest or see his adulation for the boy painted clear across his reddened cheeks. Lance bit his lip on instinct, waiting.

Then, as if Keith had suddenly been pulled back into reality, he pulled away. “We should get back,” Keith whispered. “Everyone is going to wonder where their Prince went.” Lance was almost sure he heard regret in Keith’s tone, but he couldn’t be sure. The smile at his lips had downturned and his eyes stared pointedly down at the spot where the window they had exited through was.

Disappointment flooded Lance, washing all other emotions away like a tidal wave, drowning them and him. “Yeah… You’re probably right…,” he agreed, swiftly unlatching himself from Keith and sliding down the roof again. Without waiting for his knight, he clambered back into the window to stand in the hallway. Keith followed after, shutting the window behind him.

As they headed down the stairs and through the halls, they didn’t speak. Lance was sure that Keith was avoiding eye contact with him, but that was fine, he was avoiding eye contact too. Lance reached his room eventually, although it felt like hours later. All Lance wanted to do was go to sleep and try to shrug off whatever went wrong up on the roof. It was just making him feel worse to be around Keith after such a vulnerable moment had been shattered. He opened the door, slipped inside, and shut it quickly with nothing more than a quick farewell to Keith.

How stupid was he to actually believe that Keith liked him, even as a friend? Of course Keith wouldn’t want Lance to kiss him, why would he? Keith was a knight with a job that tethered him to Lance, nothing more. He didn’t actually care about Lance beyond an acquaintance whose life he guarded. At most, they were associates. Unbelievable, that Lance would just assume that Keith felt something in that moment like he did. Lance wasn’t even nice to Keith when they met, he probably hated Lance. He probably thought Lance was pathetic and desperate.

Maybe Keith had someone already. Someone who made his heart race and his palms sweat just by a smile. Who spawned butterflies in his stomach and roused a blush from his cheeks through the simplest of touches. A person who Keith had known much longer than Lance, who wasn’t loud and obnoxious like Lance, who didn’t actively hate him for the first few days of their meeting like Lance, who he wasn’t required to be with constantly like Lance.

That thought burned like acid in his chest.

Lance tried his best to not feel like he had just been rejected, but it was difficult. He fell asleep while replaying the night through his head for the seventh time and dreading the following day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot to post this chapter at all, but thankfully, I set alarms on my phone.  
> Don't be afraid to leave a comment or a kudos, or something?? I still don't really know how this website works honestly.


	8. Keith Is a Fuck Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is entirely Keith with practically no Lance. But don't worry because Lance is still there!  
> My dudes, I've been thinking of adding another chapter right before the last one because when I read it over, I realized that I hate how stunted and disjointed the 15th and 16th chapters are together. I usually write all my fics before I post them, for many reasons, and I did the same with this one, but this has just been bothering me. So, expect the chapter count to change.

“Pidge?!” Keith shouted into the empty weapons design unit. He didn’t get a response, not that he waited for one either. “Where are you?!”

As he rounded the corner into the work area, he saw Pidge at her desk, slaving over blueprints which were spread out and stacked. She looked tired and frustrated even as her face lit up into a bright smile at the sight of her best friend. “You brought the core?” she excitedly asked.

“No,” Keith slouched down in his usual stool.

Pidge’s face dropped and she stared past Keith, back to being drained of any life she may have once had. “Then why’re you here?”

He graciously decided to ignore her apathetic tone of voice and carried on. “I fucked up,” he groaned, slouching his shoulders.

“What else is new?” Pidge sighed, resting her chin on the palm of her hand.

“Pidge.” He glared at her.

“Fine, I’ll bite. How did you fuck up, Keith?”

Keith pressed his lips into a thin line and narrowed his eyes at the events that had transpired that night. He rolled his shoulders, dismissing his own thoughts. “So, I was hanging out with Lance,” he began.

“You ‘hang out’ with the Prince now?” Pidge raised an eyebrow.

Keith clicked his tongue, “I was doing my job and escorting him.”

“Sure. Continue,” Pidge waved her hand, encouraging him.

“Well, we were alone… and we were really close, physically…,” Keith stuttered, feeling his face and ears heating up. He couldn’t meet Pidge’s eye but when he quickly glanced at her, she no longer looked half-asleep. Her expression was a mixture of intrigue and disbelief. She leaned forward expectantly. “I almost… kissed him…” Keith mumbled the last part, obscuring the words partially.

A loud barrage of clattering filled the room as Pidge slammed her hands onto the desk and Shiro shoved his way out of the store room at the back. _“What?!”_ they both yelled in sync.

“Shiro?!” Keith shouted back, startled. “How long have you been here?!”

“You kissed the Prince?!” Shiro ignored Keith, looking fearful.

_“Almost!”_

Pidge was hooting at her desk. She slammed her fist onto the blueprints again. “I was very wrong! This is much better than the core! You were complaining about how much of a royal pain in the ass he was not even a week ago, and now you want his royal ass!”

If it was possible, Keith’s face reddened further. He embarrassedly swatted at her, yelling back, “Shut up! No, I don’t!”

“But you _wanted_ to kiss him!” she crowed.

Glaring angrily, Keith rapidly hissed out, _“Of course I wanted to kiss him.”_

“Keith, I knew you were up to something, but really?” Shiro gave a sympathetic look to Keith, shaking his head.

“I didn’t mean for it to happen! He couldn’t even look me in the eye after,” Keith carped, slumping back into his seat and running his hands through his hair as he dropped his head. “Fuck…”

“Keith, this could get you fired…,” Shiro added quietly.

Quickly staring up at Shiro with a renewed terror in his eyes, Keith stuttered out, “Could it really?”

Frowning grimly, Shiro nodded, “As his personal knight, you’d be lucky to not end up in the dungeon.”

Pidge, suddenly very serious, hummed in agreement. “Making a move on the son of the King when you’re supposed to be his guard is definitely oubliette material, Shiro is right.”

“I really fucked up,” Keith murmured to himself, staring off into space with a horrified expression on his face.

Thoughts of the castle jail cells swirled in his mind, how he would never be released from holding, and if he were, he’d never find work again, certainly not as a swordsman. The kingdom would hate him, Lance would hate him. He’d bring shame to his entire family and their name. Shiro wouldn’t even be able to have grandkids without them being ostracized, and all because Keith couldn’t hold himself back when a cute boy with ocean eyes and a shining smile held him, laughed, and called him a dick.

A reassuring hand landed on his shoulder, pulling him from his down spiralling thoughts. Shiro stared down at Keith, smiling comfortingly, “Prince Lance is a nice guy and you two seemed to really click, I’m sure he won’t let you get fired. Don’t worry too much about it.”

Keith met Shiro’s eyes, trying to determine if he was just saying that or if he actually meant what he was saying. Except, Shiro was the type of guy who could make you believe the sky wasn’t blue purely with his encouraging eyes and gentle smile, so Keith couldn’t help but take a deep breath and trust that Shiro knew what he was talking about. He hadn’t let Keith down before, after all.

“You never know, he might have the hots for you right back,” Pidge suggested, scratching her cheek as a thoughtful twitch.

“Pidge,” Shiro frowned.

She dismissed him, “Then you can tongue wrestle him all you want and you won’t be arrested for it.”

“Pidge!” Shiro scolded. She gave him a smirk and shrug while Keith just melted into a simmering puddle of embarrassment in the corner, his shoulders hiked up to his ears, which were burning.

“If you marry him, you’ll be a Prince too!” she suddenly shouted excitedly. “If you become a Prince, hook me up with shop upgrades!” her eyes gleamed as she leaned across her desk.

Keith furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms. “I’m not going to marry Lance.”

“But think of the upgrades! That means better weapons in faster time for you, bud,” she stared at him with a bribing look, hoping to entice him with the promise of knives and swords.

“If I marry, it’ll be for love, not shop upgrades,” Keith hugged himself tighter and looked at the other wall across the room, discomfiture causing him to blush as he realized the cheesiness of his statement.

 _“Oh, ho, ho!”_ Pidge deepened her voice. “So, you _love_ him now?”

Keith whipped back around to face her. Red still colouring his face, he shouted, “That’s not what I said! You’re twisting my words, you hobgoblin!”

Shiro shook his head with a small smile on his face. He wrapped his arm around Keith’s shoulders and pulled in for a one-armed hug, which Keith tried his best to squirm free from. “I think you’ll be alright, Keith. I’m also glad that you’re past that phase where you denied every emotion you ever felt, especially towards your romantic interests,” Shiro reminisced.

“Romantic interests? Are you a middle-aged woman?” Pidge snorted. “Keith has a crush! A big, fat crush! Hoo boy…” She settled down in her desk chair and rolled her head over to stare at Keith with a genuine smile. “I hope it works out, dude,” she said.

Although he had felt nothing but embarrassment and regret since the moment he stepped into workshop, but with the expressions his best friend and brother were giving him instantly eased him. Keith let out an uneasy breath. “Thanks,” he nodded.

Pidge clapped her hands together suddenly, then returned to looking at her blueprints. “Now, I need your opinion on this. A charax dagger with a hollow fuller and instead of a ricasso, it’s serrated. Wider quillion than normal too.”

Keith leaned over the desk, offering his input. Shiro hovered around, giving his two cents when Pidge and Keith got into an argument about realistic and fantasy knives. They spent a couple hours more designing weapons of various types until Pidge had yawned five times in one minute and Shiro suggested they all go to bed. Although she protested, she did eventually head back to her home with Shiro escorting her since he lived in the area as well. Keith, being the appointed knight he was, lived in the castle.

Even as Keith fell asleep, left to his thoughts, he still didn’t let himself dwell on the Lance situation for more than a second. He would have to see Lance again tomorrow and the days following, so even just for one night, if he could, Keith would relax and choose to believe that everything was fine.

He drifted to sleep thinking about knife designs.

 

◊ ◊ ◊

 

As much as he wanted to deny it, Keith was actually very worried about meeting up with Lance the next day. Shiro had put him at ease to an extent, and he could always just deny almost kissing Lance if anything came of it, but luckily, Lance didn’t request Keith’s presence.

He had a lot of training and studying to do, but he had been doing that for the past couple of days and had called for Keith at least five times each day to distract him or help him. Of course, Keith didn’t know how to help him, so he would just sit across the table and answer Lance’s Would You Rather questions or stump him with a good 20 Questions round, all while eating his various snack items.

Except, now that Keith thought about it, it probably wasn’t a good thing that Lance wasn’t looking for him. Was it because of what Keith nearly did the day before? Lance might be filing for a new knight while Keith practiced his sword training, blissfully unaware. Keith hadn’t bothered to check the library to see if he was still working on his studies since he didn’t want to have Lance be angry at him, he wanted to give Lance space. It was a lot to take in that your knight just tried to kiss you. It was dark though. Maybe Lance hadn’t noticed…?

Keith wasn’t buying that either.

Rather than seek Lance out to make sure everything was alright, Keith decided to leave him alone until he called on him and just continue to practice with the training bot in the training deck. It was good to get in some practice anyways since he hadn’t gotten much of a chance since beginning work as the appointed knight to the Prince. He needed to make sure his skills were sharp so he could keep himself in shape as well as make sure he was able to protect Lance.

Another aspect of training that appealed to Keith was the fact that he could get lost in it and clear his head. When he was focused on the placement of his body, the movements of his opponents, the abilities of his weapon, ways to use his surroundings, and the general idea that he’s fighting for two, it was so much easier for his mind to shove everything else out of the way. There was no room to think about his Lance-related worries when a mechanical bot was swinging a sword at him, aiming to kill.

Keith could spend hours training, clearing his head and bettering his skills. Other knights often considered training to be tiring work while Keith considered it to be a blessing, a getaway, and overall enjoyable. That was why Keith was the best of the best and why he got the position he did. Keith had weeks of training time over the others. He learned faster, trained harder, switched between weapons swifter, and was more determined than any of them.

Some said it was inherited from his parents, some said he was a prodigy or a freak, but Keith knew it was just because he put everything into fighting. He had been groomed to be a swordsman from the day he was born. His mother, his father, his half-brother, and his half-sister, they were all fighters and they all expected him to be the same. Except, there wasn’t ever any pressure on Keith, at least, he never felt that there was. It wasn’t a situation where he was being handed a family business he didn’t want. If Keith had chosen to make bread for a living, his family would’ve supported him, Keith knew that. But he didn’t choose that. Keith had always wanted to fight with the best of them and to be a knight.

Perhaps he really was a freak prodigy who had inherited his parents’ talents.

The training bot surged at Keith, lashing out and swinging around. Keith dodged it with ease, countering with a sweeping slash to the side of the bot and kicking it to the ground when it was disorientated. Completely on autopilot, Keith slammed his sword down, aiming for the kill, but the bot rolled out of the way at the last second. It swiped at Keith, knocking him off his feet. Keith quickly righted himself, somersaulting away from another incoming blow. He twirled up and around, bashing the bot with the flat edge of the sword. The bot went down. Keith made sure to take the opportunity to dig the blade point deep into its neck.

After a moment, Keith removed his sword and stepped back to watch as the bot turned into a collection of blue crystals and floated into the ceiling. Sweat dripped down his forehead and he swiped it away with the back of his hand. Briefly, he debated starting the next level but then his eyes landed on the clock in the corner of the room. It was late already, probably dark outside. Keith had spent the entire day just fighting and not once had Lance called for him. That’s fine, nothing weird about that.

Too anxious to continue fighting now that he was out of his trance, Keith decided he would just have a shower, grab a snack, call it a night, and hit the sack. Keith headed for the communal showers. His clothes were still in a bag on the hook where he had left them, where he always left them. Stripping himself of his sweat-ridden clothes, Keith entered the shower.

As much as Keith loved working up a sweat and straining his body until it begged him to stop training, he loved showering almost just as much. Cold showers were his favourite since they cooled him quickly and he always felt refreshed and healthy once he got out. Showers in general were reprises from all outside life, like other dimensions where thoughts were altered and problems solved in seconds.

Keith relished in the feeling of the crystal cold water hitting him as he ran his fingers through his greased-up hair, sighing as he did. Then he spun around and held his face under the spray. It cooled him nearly instantly, causing him to shiver as it overshot his temperature. He didn’t mind much.

When Keith was in the shower, he could almost let himself believe that Lance was still going to be his friend when he got out. They would still go on adventures and see the world. Keith would still risk his life for Lance and expect to be berated for his recklessness after, even though it was his job to do so. They would still call each other names and make competitions out of the stupidest things. Just like they had been before. Keith wanted to get to know Lance more, he wanted to be able to open up to Lance as well. He wanted to build a strong connection with Lance beyond their working relationship.

And he had been doing a good job of that until he went and nearly kissed the boy. Keith grunted in annoyance at the reminder and scrubbed at his hair a little harder.

After he was satisfied, Keith shut the shower off, swiped the excess water off his body, wrung his hair out, then stepped out into the locker room area, drying himself off with the towel hung next to the shower door. Keith dug around in his bag, removing his clothes and putting them on. Since his gear needed to be cleaned, he chose a simple blue tunic with a lobster design on the front and some baggy, tan pants. His regular boots were fine. The rest of his clothes were already in the bag and he slung it over his shoulder to make his way back to his room.

As he closed in on the door to his room, Keith was stopped. The loud calling of his name alerted him to a young lady hurrying down the hall to catch him. “Sir Kogane!” she called. He had never seen her before but she appeared to be a member of the castle staff. Keith opened the door to his room and tossed his bag inside, closing it after so he could properly address the lady.

“Sir, Princess Allura requested you come to the observatory immediately,” the lady informed him.

Keith instantly felt panic rush through him. Was he being laid off? Already? And by the Princess too. Lance couldn’t even meet with Keith himself. Keith nodded to the staff member, thanking her for delivering the message, although everything he said sounded far away, disconnected and from someone other than himself. He tried his best to calm down as he made his way through the halls until he came to the observatory. The map of the castle had already been engraved into his mind so he knew exactly where to go, he just didn’t want to.

For a moment, Keith stood outside the room, staring at the door. No sound came from inside even as he strained to hear. He steeled his breath, stood up straighter, and gently pushed the door inward. He had expected the entire cavalry to be there, ready to arrest Keith for his unprofessional conduct and inability to smother his feelings. But there were no guards. Inside, there were only two people. Allura sat in the middle of the room, staring up at the stars through the glass ceiling. In her lap was the head of Lance, resting and asleep under her careful watch. Splayed across a blanket on the floor, Lance’s body lay limp and unconscious.

The lights were turned off, letting the stars and the moon be the only illumination. It reminded Keith of the other night when he had made his biggest mistake and his heart clenched uncomfortably at the memory. The entire room echoed Keith’s footsteps as he stepped forward. Behind him, the door slowly closed and clicked shut, amplifying the sound against the silence.

Allura turned her head to check over her shoulder who it was. “Ah, you certainly got here fast,” she said lowly, trying to keep quiet enough that she wouldn’t wake Lance. She turned back to stare down at her brother, frowning slightly, she whispered, “He’s been working on his studies all day today… Out like a light now.”

Keith carefully meandered closer, keeping his footsteps light and quiet until he was stood next to Allura. He didn’t dare sit down or speak yet, nervous and unsure why she had called for him.

“He wanted to see the stars before he fell asleep, but the whole time, he just seemed… sad,” Allura frowned. Then she turned back to stare up at Keith, a different sort of glint in her eye. “Well? Tell me, Keith. Have the two of you been getting along alright?” she questioned, raising an eyebrow with a suggestive smirk.

Keith’s face instantly blushed at the hint she was dropping, realization dawning on him. His shoulders raised and he roughly ran his fingers across his palms, mortified. “I– I don’t...,” he stuttered. His voice cracked.

Allura giggled, her eyes bright and easy. “It’s okay, I understand,” she smiled at him. Keith, although still anxious under Allura’s gaze, relaxed a little. She was sort of like Shiro in that way, except a little more threatening since she had more power, he’d never spoken to her before, and she was Lance’s sibling, not Keith’s. He also didn’t doubt that she could snap him in half.

“He gets frustrated. King Alfor expects so much from him and Lance feels that it’s all pointless as long as he isn’t next in line. He just wants to explore the world and share those experiences with others, he’s always wanted just that,” Allura explained. “Father wants Lance to go into politics though. He felt that by hiring you, father was trying to stop him.”

A twinge of regret and guilt pricked at Keith. “That’s not… I’m just…” He wasn’t really sure what to say that could express that he wasn’t trying to ruin Lance’s dreams – he didn’t even know about Lance’s situation – he just wanted to protect Lance.

Allura didn’t expect him to finish his sentence, luckily. She shook her head, assuring him, “Don’t worry, it’s not like you carry any blame in this. It’s just unfortunate. Lance puts so much time into learning about the world around us. Ever since he was young, he has, but it’s never going to be enough for King Alfor. He doesn’t see Lance’s passion, he just sees a waste of time that will get Lance hurt.” She ran her hand through his hair when he stirred in his sleep. “Perhaps that’s the motivation that drives him,” she whispered.

Turning once again to meet Keith’s eye, she said with a seriousness that could only come from a future Queen, “He is really quite special. You be sure to protect him with your life. It’s quite the honour.”

“I will,” Keith answered, not a hint of wavering hesitation in his tone. He had sworn his life to Lance the moment he accepted the role of appointed knight, and it was a heavy thing to promise. There in that room though, with no rituals or ceremonies, just Lance’s vulnerable, sleeping form and the grave stare of Princess Allura, it all seemed even more absolute. Keith didn’t mind though. He would answer the same way without faltering every time it was asked until the day finally came for him to prove it. Vaguely, he wondered if everyone saw him as a dead man walking.

Allura was satisfied with his answer. She nodded. Then, with a finger gesture, she urged Keith to come closer. Keith quietly stepped around Lance’s body to stand in front of her. “He can’t stay here all night,” she whispered. “It’s probably time you take him in.”

Keith’s eyes widened and he stared down at her, wondering if he heard that right. She waited patiently for his mind to catch up. “Shouldn’t we wake him…?” he asked awkwardly.

“He’s had a long day of work, let him sleep.” Her face morphed into that mischievous grin from earlier, but more subdued and subtle, as she said, “You’re strong. I’m sure you can handle it.” Gently, she lifted Lance’s head from her lap and shifted him forward. Keith swooped down, dropping to one knee to take Lance in his arms. After settling one arm around Lance’s shoulders, letting the sleeping boy’s head loll into Keith’s chest, he held Lance’s knees up with his other arm. Slowly, Keith stood, never taking his eyes away from Lance’s sleeping face for fear that the Prince would wake at any moment.

Allura watched as Keith shifted Lance around in his arms with caution. Once Keith had the boy steady in his hold, Allura rose from her seat on the observatory floor. Without another word, just a grateful smile and a nod, she turned and left the room. Her shoes clacked against the tile floor as she disappeared into the hallway, solidifying the idea that Keith was alone with Lance then, entrusted with the Prince yet again.

He stared up at the stars through the glass ceiling for a moment, releasing a deep breath into the air above him as he stood there. Then, with slow, muted steps, Keith left the room.

Extra weight didn’t deter Keith as he carried the Prince through the halls. Keith’s gear was pretty heavy and he had that strapped to his back all the time. A few times, Keith thought he might drop Lance, although he never did, he just hugged the boy closer and made sure not to disturb him. Strands of chestnut hair tickled the underneath of Keith’s chin as he tried to convince himself he couldn’t smell the calming sweet scent that characterized Lance, almost like hot chocolate, as warm as the boy himself.

Not many people were in the hallways, being as late as it was. This was a good thing, because every time Keith did pass someone, they would stare openly at him and Lance. It made Keith feel awkward, as though someone had just walked in on him doing something embarrassing rather than what it actually was; Keith doing his job.

Except, it was more than that. It was self-indulgent, it was caring, it was protective. Allura had helped him, sure, but it still didn’t feel right for Keith to be where he was, doing what he was.

Keith straightened his back slowly, steeled his steps, and walked with slightly more purpose, holding his head higher. He glanced down at Lance’s peaceful face and as the adoration bled into his heart, he made a decision.

For this one night, while Lance was asleep, he would let himself enjoy the feeling of holding the boy in his arms and just be thankful that he was the one who got to see that boy’s smile all day everyday, even if that was all he would ever get. Friendship was enough. Short touches with excuses, fond looks when the other wasn’t looking, teasing littered with double meanings, that’s all Keith could ever give, and that was enough.

The door for Lance’s room at the end of the hall taunted Keith, appearing much faster than Keith wanted. His heart dropped. As much as he wanted to prolong this, it wasn’t fair to either of them. So, he didn’t slow, he didn’t falter, he just opened the door as best he could without shifting Lance, pushed it open, and quietly stepped into the darkness.

It wasn’t bright enough for him to make anything distinguishable out, so he didn’t try. Instead, Keith just laid Lance onto his bed as gently as he was able. Lance was already wearing baggy clothes and Keith was sure they were fine for sleeping. Cautious not to wake Lance, Keith removed the boy’s shoes and set them next to the bed, then fluttered the blankets over Lance’s sleeping form.

As Keith was about to leave, Lance shifted a bit, furrowing his eyebrows and grunting softly. Keith couldn’t help the smile that quirked his lip, nor could he help the hand that smoothed across Lance’s hair, soothing his sleep. Lance hummed quietly, his eyebrows relaxing. Bittersweet thoughts of resolve snaked up his spine, urging him to get out of the room before he escalated this into sifting his fingers through Lance’s hair or something else equally as crazy.

Keith stepped out of the room, forcing himself not to look at the boy anymore. He shut the door behind him, listening to the resounding click afterwards. Keith hadn’t spoke to Lance once that day, and yet, he already felt like tomorrow would be a more promising day. He headed to the kitchen for that snack he had originally planned on, feeling lighter than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love hearing from y'all in the comments, so drop a line anytime.  
> Does anyone still say drop a line?


	9. For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did promise dragons.

“Really? That’s where we’re going?” Keith raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

“Yes, it is!” Lance hysterically shouted. “Because someone around here seems to think that the dragon myth is not a myth and I need to prove him wrong.”

The wind whistled by, shifting the trees above them like maracas. Some light peaked through the openings in the leaves, a shimmering light show along everything under the trees. Drops of water sprinkled onto Lance’s bare arms from the leaves above, the fresh dew of an early morning in the forest prickling the two boys.

It had been a week since the incident on the roof and Lance had successfully shoved the memory to the far recesses of his mind, out of reach, out of sight, out of mind. He was disappointed, there was no denying it, but he didn’t need to dwell on it. After the first day of avoiding Keith, he had managed to build up enough self confidence to see the boy again. Well, that and he also realized that he didn’t really like being away from Keith all that much. It was a classic case of not being able to go back to how things were before once he saw the greener grass on the other side. The greener grass being Keith as his appointed knight, of course.

So, rather than continue to avoid his knight, he decided that it would probably be better to just pretend that the intimate moment they had had on top of the castle roof, as surreal as it was, had never actually even happened. This worked in his favour since Keith either didn’t notice, or was just as eager to push it out of his mind. Neither of them mentioned, they just moved along.

The week following had been better too. Lance learned a lot about Keith and he shared a lot about himself with Keith. A natural flow had developed within their conversations, as if they had been friends for years and just knew the other one, understood the other one. They still argued, competed, griped, and threatened each other, but it was all in good fun and never once did Lance actually feel like he was participating in anything negative. It was also difficult to be mad at Keith when he would laugh so hard at something Lance said that he would just end up screaming quietly with tears streaming down his face.

That, Lance had to say, was much more magical than any dragon Keith rambled about.

“Voltra is real. I told you this already, she protects Altea for the Goddess Voltron,” Keith rolled his eyes.

“Have you ever personally seen a giant, multicoloured, flying dragon in the sky?” Lance tilted his head and stared skeptically at Keith.

In response, Keith furrowed his brows and looked anywhere but at Lance with a disgruntled expression. He muttered, “Well, no…”

“Exactly,” Lance nodded, smugly smirking, “because it doesn’t exist.”

“She’s a primordial spirit, Lance! She doesn’t need your approval to exist!” Keith yelled, frustrated.

“Today she does! We’re going to go out there, and we’re going to find absolutely nothing,” Lance squinted at the path ahead, trying to see if they were getting any closer to Daibazaal Chasm, where the legendary Voltra was rumoured to be. “I have explored Altea literally my entire life, and never once have I seen anything even remotely similar to a dragon.”

Keith just scoffed, seemingly tired of dealing with such a ridiculous non-believer. “You’ll see,” he said cryptically.

“Yeah, we will see, won’t we? You know what we’ll see? Nothing. We’ll see nothing.” Lance clacked his reins, hurrying on ahead of Keith.

They travelled along, the air filling with their arguments about anything and everything mythical. Lance couldn’t believe even if he tried since he had never seen any of the things which their conversation brought up. However, Keith was a firm believer, he even had a couple stories of his own experiences with spirits and cryptids which he had seen around Altea. It was actually quite endearing to Lance how enthusiastic Keith got when telling his stories.

“…Moral of the story; they’re out there,” Keith concluded his latest tale.

Lance laughed, “You realize how insane you sound, don’t you?”

“Yes, but it happened,” nodded Keith.

“A glowing, yellow, rabbit spirit that steals money?” Lance furrowed his eyebrows. “Really?”

“No, they just _look like_ rabbits,” Keith clarified.

Lance shouted, hoping to illustrate how absurd Keith sounded, “Bugs Bunny mugged you in the woods and it was an enchanting, paranormal event for you! That’s what you are telling me! Do you have a tinfoil hat so the aliens won’t suck out your thoughts with a swirly straw too?!”

Keith huffed angrily and urged Fabron into a canter to get away from Lance. “When we see Voltra, you can use your alien straw to suck your pride up off the ground! Bet on it!”

“Aw, c’mon, Keith! Don’t make bets you can’t win!” Lance called. He caught up to Keith, only for the knight to smirk at him and hurry away again. That was it, they were off. Leaves were whipped from their branches as Lance and Keith raced by, showering them like confetti. Once out of the forest, the chasm was clearly visible. It was a large canyon in the middle of the land, making it hard to miss.

The gorge was a pretty hefty drop and on top of that, despite the fact the sun passed directly over top of it, it was always dark at the bottom. For those reasons, Altean children were told legends of a dragon which would eat them if they got too close so they would be deterred from playing near the cliffs.

Keith, on the other hand, claimed that not only was Voltra the dragon real, but she didn’t eat children. She was a protective spirit and the only thing about her that would harm you were the orbs she emitted as a defensive shield to anyone trying to harm her.

Lance and Keith pulled their horses up before they got too close, tying them off on a nearby tree in the shade. Lance was content to seat himself on a large boulder some little ways away from Daibazaal Chasm, but Keith wasn’t having it. He had to make sure that Lance had the best view of the dragon that they could get. So, upon his insistence, and because he knew that Keith would never put him in danger, Lance finally relented. The pair rested on the edge of the drop off, their legs dangling off into the empty air. True to the rumours, it was very dark at the bottom. Lance couldn’t even see the ground below. Although he had explored all of Altea, he had never been as close to the chasm as he was then.

Keith was leaned forward, staring over his own legs in anticipation. He truly believed that they were going to see something, how cute and tragic. Lance was perfectly content to stare at Keith’s intense expression, but he couldn’t handle silences very well, especially not when he was nervous. So, Lance started up conversations, talking about his time in the Daibazaal Region and how the people of the village tell the Votra legend differently than the people in Central Altea. In fact, everyone all over Altea told a different version.

The Balmerans told of a dragon who spoke with the people through the earth. The Marmorans spoke of a purple dragon who could only be seen by the descendants of the Goddess Voltron. The Daibazaalians believed it was a heavily armoured, warrior of a dragon who was destined to protect the Altean people from a calamity in the future. Central Alteans were insistent on a multicoloured dragon with wings. He wasn’t sure on the Galra region though. No one ever went there.

One thing that was the same no matter which region you asked, was the Goddess’s Grace. They said that any illness, wound, or health issue could be instantly healed if one sang the Goddess’s Song in the presence of Voltra. It had even been said that the dead could be resurrected.

Lance hadn’t planned anything else for the entire day except to sit at the chasm in the company of Keith and just talk to him. He had set up the guise of waiting for the Altean dragon so that no one would question when he did absolutely nothing with Keith at his side the entire day. Maybe it was a little self-indulgent, but Keith was into it, even if he didn’t actually know what was going on at all. Keith just thought they were out looking for non-existent dragons. He even brought a bow and arrow to the hang-out, choosing to leave his sword and shield behind. Lance thought that was a bit odd, if he was being honest.

So, the pair talked about the stupidest topics together, neither thinking it was weird.

“Is it just me, or does Steve Buscemi look like Hades from Disney’s Hercules?” Lance squinted up at the sky, letting his thoughts drift. There was no answer from Keith, even after he waited a moment. Lance looked to Keith, wondering if the knight had even heard him.

A troubled expression played at Keith’s face, furrowing his eyebrows and pressing his lips into a hard line. Slowly, he turned his head to stare at Lance, the same expression still in place. “He does… a lot… What the fuck…?” Keith muttered, mind blown.

Lance chuckled and brightly announced, “I’ve been thinking about this for awhile and no one will listen! Hunk says it’s just me!”

“No, it’s not,” Keith shook his head. “Is Buscemi not the voice of Hades?”

“Nope, James Woods.”

Keith narrowed his eyes. “Why do you know that? That movie came out, what, a hundred years ago?”

Clicking his tongue, Lance corrected, “One hundred seventeen years ago, _Keith.”_

“The movie isn’t even _that_ good.”

“It’s a classic!” Lance flailed his arms, barely missing smacking Keith.

“Old doesn’t mean classic.”

Hours passed and the sun was high in the sky, shining down on them as they continued their debates about things from the past, which were classics and which were just things that Lance was needlessly obsessed with. They went through everything; movies, tv shows, sports, music.

“Okay, that band, Sleeping With Sirens, you know ‘em?” Keith asked. He was leaning back against the grass with his eyes to the clouds and his bow and quiver tossed next to him on the ground.

“Yeah. They’re ancient, but yeah,” Lance answered, lying next to him.

Keith snorted, “Right, because Hercules came out last week.”

“Heroes may die, but legends live on,” Lance dismissed as Keith rolled his eyes. “Now, you were saying?”

“What does it mean?” Keith turned his head to face Lance, grass tickling his cheek. Lance matched him. “Sleeping with sirens, like the mythological mermaids who kill sailors? Sirens like the alarms?”

Lance’s eyes widened. “I didn’t even think about the mythological sirens, oh my goddess! I thought it was just sleeping with alarm sirens blaring! Although, I guess that would make it difficult to sleep.”

“If it is mythical sea creatures, are they sleeping with them, or are they _sleeping with them_?” Keith raised an eyebrow with his infliction. “Because if you tried to sleep with a siren, you wouldn’t get very far before it killed you.”

“Fuck the water women, or die trying,” Lance cackled.

Despite laying in the grass, Keith still attempted to shove Lance, laughing the whole time, “Gross, no!”

At some point, Lance began to complain about the lack of dragons they were seeing and it was getting pretty late in the day. Not too late, the sun was still in the sky overhead, but Lance’s body felt numb from the constant sitting and the chasm was dead. Keith told him he was an impatient prick and he needed to wait because a magical being like Voltra didn’t run on his schedule, they ran on hers. So, Lance decided that exercise was better than melting into the grass and forgetting what movement was altogether.

While Lance did the Macarena to get his blood flowing, Keith positioned himself by a tree and began stretching. He wasn’t really doing actual exercise routines so much as he was just rolling out the kink in his muscles and getting his blood pumping. Lance could appreciate that. Maybe he was appreciating it a little too much. Maybe he needed to remove his eyes from Keith’s neck as the boy rotated his head around, extending the muscles on each side until the joints cracked and he sighed in relief.

With a shake of the hips, Lance hopped, turning his body – and effectively, his eyes – so that he could safely Macarena without the distraction by the name of Keith.

Lance completed three full turns of the Macarena, all while singing the song until finally he decided he had had enough. With the help of Keith, of course, who told him that he was going to scare Voltra away if he kept shouting. Lance ignored him, screaming into the chasm until Keith threatened to shove him in as a sacrifice to the Goddess Voltron.

“Why do bakers have a different dozen than other people?” Keith bitterly asked while reaching his arms as far into the sky as he could get them to go.

“I think it’s because when you make a dozen muffins, or whatever, there’s the leftover stuff and it makes another muffin… I don’t know…” Lance squinted in confusion at his own words.

Keith just scoffed and let his arms drop to his sides. “You add the leftovers to the other muffins equally! Or you eat it, or you throw it out, or you do something smart instead of just calling it a dozen when it’s not! It’s not, Lance!”

“Don’t let Hunk hear you saying that,” Lance warned, grinning.

Keith ignored him. “Muffin pans make a dozen! Why would you break out an entirely separate pan just to make another half-muffin?”

“Well, speaking of bakers dozens and Hunk,” Lance wiggled his eyebrows and slipped away toward Livia. There was a bag strapped to her tack which Lance had stuffed full with cupcakes from Hunk earlier that morning. Removing the container and hurrying back to Keith, he kept his hands behind his back so that Keith wouldn’t be able to tell what he was holding. Even against the skeptical tilt of Keith’s eyebrows, Lance just grinned excitedly. He pulled the container out from behind his back and held it out toward Keith.

“What’s this?” Keith stared at the cupcakes with confusion. It reminded Lance of a puppy and it was adorable. He wasn’t even aware Keith could make a face like that.

“Hunk made them for us,” Lance explained. He removed a cupcake from the container and held it out toward Keith, who readily took it. Lance removed one for himself.

Right as Lance was about lick the icing off the top, Keith made an animalistic noise. “You are not about to eat that icing on its own,” Keith glared.

Lance smirked before swiping his tongue over the frosting, savouring the sweetness.

Keith cringed, staring at Lance entirely affronted. “Apostate,” he hissed.

“You’re an icing hater, Keith?” Lance matched Keith’s disgust.

“Anti-icing,” Keith corrected. “I don’t think this friendship is going to work out…”

“It won’t. It can’t be salvaged. It has been fun, Keith, but we need to end it here.” Lance contemplated that for a moment. “Or,” he began, catching Keith’s attention, “you could give me your icing in exchange for the cake.”

After a brief hesitating debate, Keith accepted, thrusting his cupcake toward Lance, who scraped the frosting off with his fingers and handed both cakes back to Keith. They were both satisfied with their end results. “This is real love,” Lance jokingly commented. Keith just rolled his eyes and took another bite of the fluffy cake, curtesy of Hunk. Lance would have to thank his best friend later.

At some point, they both returned to their seats beside the chasm, splitting the rest of the cupcakes. The cakes were given out equally, but all the icing went to Lance.

Eventually, the sun sank below the horizon, disappearing from the sky for the day and making way for the moon. Keith had to take Lance back to the castle before curfew, or else the search parties were sent out, but they still had a little bit of time. The entire day had been wasted at the chasm just talking, chatting, and joking, like two friends who had known each other for years and were just catching up. Okay, so, maybe Lance didn’t consider it a waste of time because he got to be with Keith, but there was no dragon, and eventually Keith had to just accept that they weren’t going to see anything, right?

Lance was about to begin his speech in order to coax Keith into returning to the castle, maybe make a joke about the dragon not showing up because of his stupid mullet. But before he could, Lance’s attention was pulled to Daibazaal Chasm. It was glowing. Not overly bright, but it was a noticeable change in colour. Rather than being the pitch black it usually was, it shimmered with the hints of various colours. Lance leaned forward, closer to the cliffside, trying his best to get a better look.

Something grabbed his arm before he could, partially preventing him from falling over the edge and partially drawing away his focus. Keith had his hand in a death grip around Lance’s arm but his eyes were on the sky, not Lance, and his mouth was parted in awe. He followed Keith’s gaze.

In the sky, slithering through the air with unbelievable grace, was a dragon. It was clear in how she held her head just how gallant and regal she was. All along from her snout to the base of her neck, a deep midnight black that demanded all who lay eyes upon her not look away. Winding horns protruded from her head like battle armour from a war in which she fought alone. Shining scales reflected the moon's light, creating the illusion of a wave over the dragon’s body as she glided along, no wings present to keep her in the air.

Blood red striped along her back, fiery and temperamental in the way the scales flashed. An ocean wave of blue tickled the underside of her belly, powerful and confident, melding into a deep purple where it reached up to mingle with the crimson tones. The front legs of the mighty creature were greener than the lands she protected, dangerous talons scooped through the air, skilled and battle trodden. Yellow claimed the hind legs, strong, yet gentle in their colouring, like the sands of the canyon she flew toward.

The Goddess’s Dragon, Voltra. She was real.

Lance was awestruck, he couldn’t take his eyes away. A soft tune filled his ears, coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. It calmed him, filling him with warmth and comfort as he watched the dragon’s slow descent toward the chasm.

Voltra glimmered, not just her scales, but something about the way the light around her seemed to soften and strengthen, pulsating like a light show with no origin. There were spikes all along her back, making her appear less serpent-like and more dinosaur-like. She was long though. As she emerged from the clouds above like a Valkyrie arriving to Earth, her tail continued to trail out behind her with seemingly no end. Orbs of light also radiated outward and away from her. Lance was tempted to touch one but they were too far out in the chasm.

She descended. With elegance beyond anything Lance could ever have witnessed, she entered the chasm, heading downwards and into the murky darkness dyed with hints of colour. She was right there, so close, Lance’s mouth hung open and his body froze in shock. He couldn’t form a coherent thought aside from disbelief.

Suddenly, like an arrow through the air, something snapped Lance out of his trance. In fact, it was an arrow through the air. Keith was stood next to him, a manic expression of excitement on his face and his bow positioned in his hand, as he watched his arrow sail through the air directly for Voltra.

“Keith?! What’re you doing?!” Lance yelped, leaping up to wrestle the bow away from Keith. If that boy thought he was going to fight this giant dragon and win, he was wrong, Lance wouldn’t let him. Not only because it would be a losing battle on Keith’s part, but also because a being as majestic as the one Lance was witnessing didn’t deserve to be hurt.

Keith let himself be tackled, dropping his bow and ignoring Lance entirely. The arrow connected with Voltra. Before Lance couldn’t even process what was happening, Keith was launching himself toward the chasm at top speed. Lance screeched, diving out to stop Keith before he went over the edge. He latched onto Keith’s leg, causing the knight to trip. His arm went out, into the empty space past the cliff drop off. A sparkling ray of light was falling from the sky and right as it was about to be swallowed into the darkness of the chasm forever, Keith caught it.

Lance, however, didn’t care. He could not care less about the thing that Keith had caught if he tried. There was a grin on Keith’s face that could rival the sun in bright intensity as Lance yanked him up into a sitting position, away from the cliff.

“What’s wrong with you?! You’re going to get yourself killed! Again!” Lance shouted, gripping Keith harder than necessary.

Once again, he was ignored. “For you,” Keith whispered into the space between them. There wasn’t much of it anyways, with their legs tangled together and Lance clutching the boy so hard it was a wonder it didn’t bruise.

Lance stared down at Keith’s hands. In his palms, bigger than Lance’s own face, was a gleaming blue scale. Hesitantly, Lance picked the scale up, turning it over in his hands and inspecting it. There wasn’t a single imperfection on it, not even an indent where Keith’s arrow would have hit. It was truly incredible.

Lance looked to Keith. “Thank you,” he mumbled, feeling his cheeks heat up at the idea of receiving a gift from his crush. And not just any gift, a mythical, spirit, dragon scale in his favourite colour.

Keith just hummed in response, pleased with Lance’s reaction. With the last section of Voltra’s tail following along into the void and out of sight, Keith was lit up from behind with a barrage of effervescent colours. It was angelic, like a halo of light surrounding Keith, with his soft, fond smile, and his tired, lidded eyes. The last of Voltra vanished into Daibazaal Chasm, the music stopped, the lights died, and once again, the two boys were thrust into darkness.

Lance instantly became aware of what had just happened. Everything. The entire day as a whole. Being near Keith, the dragon being real, Keith readily launching himself into a gorge for a scale to present to Lance, how close they were. And really, Lance couldn’t help but laugh, even as Keith watched on in confusion.

They made it back to the castle a little bit later than usual, but no one really seemed overly worried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'ALL. Can you believe there's art! I can't! I'm weeping.  
> Look at [this](https://mutukau.tumblr.com/post/169716579044/a-drawing-for-shekspers-fic-chivalry-is-dead) beautiful creation from [mutukau on tumblr](https://mutukau.tumblr.com/) also known as [PaintedOak on AO3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/PaintedOak/profile)
> 
> Y'know, it's Keith's job to protect Lance, but Lance does a lot of protecting Keith too. Boyfriends who protect each other.  
> In other news, consider this; Keith as a gem from Steven Universe. Or rather, Steven Yeuniverse.


	10. Frogs Are Friend, Not Food

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, who is ready for Keith's family! Woot!

It had been around a month since Keith had been assigned to protect Lance and finally, Lance had decided to take Keith to a village from one of the regions. Lance had promised he would eventually, and Keith had been excited but it never happened. Keith wasn’t really one to talk to people, he never was. It wasn’t that he couldn’t, he just preferred not to. But whenever he saw the way that Lance interacted with people, smiling jovially and chatting as if just being near others renewed his energy, Keith was certain that enduring small talk with anyone would be worth it. He wanted to accompany Lance to one of the villages he loved so much.

One might have thought that Keith would much rather spend time with Lance alone, with his wondrous eyes, his gleaming grin, his infectious laugh, his over-the-top stories and ridiculous jokes, his playful insults which were never truly meant to do more than elicit a well-meaning shove, his adventurous attitude and unrivalled curiosity, the way his mind could get away from him and return with the strangest thoughts and ideas, the awkward movements in his gait and his lanky, yet strong, figure.

And while that was all truly a wonderful experience, not all of Lance’s attention could be on Keith, all the time. Keith enjoyed seeing Lance doing things that made him truly happy. For example; speaking to anyone and everyone.

So, they were headed to one of the villages. Marmora Village, to be exact. What Keith didn’t tell Lance, however, was that Keith had already seen Marmora Village. In fact, he’d seen it for twelve years straight before he was finally allowed to move to Central Altea to start his formal training as a knight. Both of Keith’s parents lived in Marmora Village and fought in the Marmora Unit of the Altean Knights, which is where they met. Shiro had left for Central Altea when he was twelve as well. Keith had watched him as he rode away on his horse, only seven years old and left with his parents and his sister, who was nine.

The thing was, Keith’s half sister on his mother’s side had also wanted to be a knight. An entire family of knights. The only difference was that she preferred to stay in Marmora and to join the Marmora Unit with their parents. She was still there even, still fighting in the unit. He was still very close with her, sending her letters regularly, and the last he heard, she was the general. Keith was excited to see her. The last time he had visited Marmora Village was when he was fourteen and his parents had died in a battle against the Galra which had gone awry. His sister would be very surprised and happy to see him, he was sure.

Keith didn’t say anything about that to Lance though. He didn’t feel that it was all that important to mention. Visiting his sister was a run-of-the-mill thing. He couldn’t exactly do it as often as he liked since he was required to escort Lance everywhere, but it was still just as typical as if Lance invited Keith to come play parcheesi with him and Princess Allura.

As they entered the village on their horses, Lance’s smile widened and he leaped off his horse. Rather than tie up Livia to a tree, he just hurried into the village. Keith took the time to tie Fabron and Livia to a nearby tree, brushing his hand over their noses and saying a quick goodbye. Normally, Keith would’ve followed Lance into the village without a thought, but he didn’t this time. Instead, he took the time to take in everything.

His village hadn’t changed much in the four years since he had visited. Something about that was comforting and relaxing for Keith. He had grown up there with all those people, so if it were different, then it wouldn’t be home. The air had a warm nostalgic feel to it and Keith sighed, breathing in the scent of the local farms on the mountainside. He stared up past the village arch, seeing the familiar stores and homes that still hadn’t moved. Slowly, Keith wandered into the village, glancing around with a soft smile on his face. Goddess, he had missed the place so much.

Suddenly, a little kid, who had been playing in the dirt by a tree, gasped loudly and came racing up to Keith. He adjusted his hat, looking at Keith with such disbelief, as if he had just met a wizard. “I thought you were dead!” the kid shouted excitedly.

Keith laughed, “No, Klaizap, just busy.”

Klaizap bounced on his feet, grinning from ear to ear. “Guess what! I found something _really_ interesting! Do you wanna see?” Klaizap leaned closer.

“I’m sorry, buddy, but I’m working right now.”

Klaizap wasn’t fazed. He just smiled brightly and pointed down the road. “That’s okay! I know you’re with the Prince!” he said with glee. “Come back when you don’t have to follow him around, okay?” And with that, Klaizap hurried off to find some other adventure somewhere. Keith watched him go for a moment before returning to the path.

Everything was right where it had always been, even before Keith had been born. The clothing shop, the grocers, the inn, the cookhouse. Marmora’s message board was still right at the town entrance, alerting everyone of upcoming events or important notes. Along the path, the apple trees Keith used to climb as a kid were still there, bearing fruit as they usually did around that time of year.

Keith was about to stop and grab one off the tree, when a girl caught his eye. She was holding a broom in her hands, sweeping the entrance to her live-in general store. Well, she had been sweeping. The moment she registered it was Keith who was looking at her, her eyes widened and she nearly dropped the broom from her hands. “Hey, Sanvi,” Keith smiled, pulling the apple off the tree.

At that, Sanvi really did let go of the broom. She rushed over, grabbing Keith by the arm and dragging him through the town, all while muttering “No way, no flipping way!” excitedly. Keith couldn’t help but smile. He’d been friends with Sanvi and her twin sister, Marzanna, since they were all five. Sanvi was more about books and seeing the world, kind of like Lance, while Marzanna was more into fighting, like Keith, but they had always gotten along.

As Keith was led through the tiny village, he saw a fairly large group of people all standing in the middle of the path. It took a moment to catch sight of him through the sea of people, but Lance was standing in the middle, and just as Keith had been looking forward to, he was beaming as he told his tales from the castle. Lance had mentioned that he had been to every village before and had met all the people, making fast friends with all the people who came in contact with him, but it still stirred up a fuzzy feeling with Keith to see Lance getting along with his family, the people who he had grown up with.

“Guys! Check it out!” Sanvi shouted to the group, interrupting Lance’s story.

Everyone turned, seeing the ridiculous sight of a knight being hauled along by the village girl. Lance, although disrupted in his story, didn’t mind at all. The second he saw Keith, he smiled brightly and continued on, “And here he is! My appointed knight, Ke–”

“Yorak!” a couple of people shouted.

“Kogane!” a few others yelled out.

The entire hoard of people surrounded Keith, eagerly hugging him and asking him questions. Some of them spoke in English, some of them spoke in Marmoran. It was all just a jumble of noise and enthusiasm.

“Look at how you’ve grown!”

“Are they feeding you enough in the castle?”

“Valiant as your mother!”

Keith couldn’t help but laugh as he scanned everyone. Among the people, there was Ulaz, Kolivan, and Antok. They had all been very close with Keith’s mother and had helped to raise Keith and his siblings. Keith thought of them all as uncles. Marzanna was there, telling him all about her recent training to join the Marmora Unit.

Zethrid was hugging him. Well, more like crushing him. “You don’t visit enough!” her voice boomed.

Narti was smoothing her delicate fingers over Keith’s face. Keith let her. She was nodding in agreement with what Zethrid was saying but she didn’t speak herself. Although, she never did.

A blur of multicoloured hair came flying through the crowd and before Keith could even process it, Ezor was crashing into him, picking him up by the waist and twirling around with him in her arms. “Aki!” she squealed. “It’s been ages! And look at you! Hanging out with the Prince all day? I’m jealous!” She finally let him back down.

“Uh…” Lance awkwardly watched on.

Keith was about to say something when another figure came running up to him, tossing their arms around Keith’s neck. “You’re an asshole,” the girl said as she pulled away. Her eyebrows were lowered into an angry scowl.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I was going to visit sooner, I swear,” Keith attempted to diffuse her anger.

“Not to interrupt this bonding moment or anything, but what’s going on?” Lance suddenly interjected, confusion clear on his face.

The girl pulled away from Keith, looking to Lance with a slight glare. She had never liked the royal family and no matter how charismatic Lance was, she was stuck in her ways. “My sister, Acxa,” Keith explained, flicking his head toward the girl with the short, purple hair who had just called him an asshole.

Lance’s eyes widened as he stared at Keith, then at Acxa, then back at Keith, then back at Acxa again. “You knew we were coming here and you didn’t tell me, Keith?!” he shouted after a moment, more in disbelief than anything.

 _“Keith?”_ Acxa over-pronounced the name, smirking as she did.

“Shut up,” Keith hissed at her before turning to Lance. “I didn’t think it mattered.”

Lance balked, “Of course it matters! Is this your hometown? Did you grow up here?”

“Yeah, lived here until I was twelve,” Keith explained.

“Then he abandoned us!” Ezor suddenly chimed in, draping herself over Keith’s shoulder dramatically.

Zethrid joined the conversation with Narti at her side. “To be a fancy castle knight, too,” Zethrid added, not unkindly.

Acxa crossed her arms in a very Keith-like manner before addressing Lance with a very unimpressed tone, “Now we’re lucky if we get a postcard at all.”

Keith stared incredulously. “I write to you all the time,” he reminded.

“Ignore him. Yorak doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Acxa shooed Keith with her hand, still speaking directly to Lance.

Lance’s eyes sparkled at the new information. “You call him Yorak, what’s that about?” he asked, grinning and stepping forward.

“Nothing,” Keith quickly answered.

Zethrid snorted loudly before announcing, “His real name.” Narti knocked the back of her hand against Zethrid’s side. “Yeah, you’re right,” Zethrid agreed. “It’s his real _first_ name.”

“Is that so?” Lance egged them on.

“Kethek is his middle name!” Ezor reached her arm over Keith’s shoulder, still hugging him while she pointed at Lance.

Keith swatted at her hand. “Stop telling him!”

Lance just laughed, “Yorak Kethek Kogane. Maybe I should start calling you that,” he teased. “Hmm, Yorak?”

“Don’t.”

 _“Aki,”_ Lance practically purred.

Keith hadn’t been expecting that. A startled squeak escaped his throat and his cheeks burned. His eyes widened and he tensed involuntarily. Ezor had called him Aki for as long as Keith could remember, even Marzanna and Sanvi had called him by that name until they were seven, but this was different. The way Keith’s name rolled off Lance’s tongue with his awkward accent and his coy eyebrow wiggle. Keith’s heart palpitated, nearly beating out of his chest entirely.

Acxa suddenly spoke next to him, speaking in Marmoran so Lance wouldn’t be able to understand her, _“It’s bad enough you work for the royals, don’t fall for one too.”_ Her face was disgruntled and her hand was on her hip, reminiscent of Keith’s own stances.

Keith’s face burned even brighter as he glared at his sister. _“Shut up,”_ he shushed.

 _“He’s not even denying it! Oh my goddess!”_ Ezor cut in excitedly from her place on Keith’s shoulder.

Narti put her hand to her mouth, stifling her laughter.

Zethrid smacked Keith’s back affectionately, nearly taking him out entirely. _“You sly dog,”_ she leered.

“Did I say something wrong?” Lance asked, his face nervous and concerned, almost like a puppy.

“No, no!” Ezor shook her hand dismissively. “Not at all, Prince! Actually, now that I think about it, you work with Aki quite closely, huh? Tell me all his embarrassing stories!” she urged, grinning evilly. “We can trade!”

Lance brightened once again. “Oh, do I have some stories for you!” he laughed, launching into another one of his tales. Keith just groaned and accepted the comforting pat on the shoulder Narti offered him. Her and Zethrid followed along with Lance and Ezor to listen in on the retellings of Keith’s less fortunate moments in life, and of course, to spread their own.

Acxa, however, stayed behind. “Can I speak with you for a moment?” she asked in a quiet voice, suddenly very serious.

“Is everything okay?” worried Keith as Acxa led them over a small bridge, past a lantern, and down the little path until they were overlooking the land of Fort Marmora.

Keith had always loved that view. Sometimes, if he went up the hill high enough, he would be able to see the Marmora Unit practicing drills or protecting the fort. When he paid very close attention, he could tell which knights were his parents.

“If this is about Lance…” Keith began.

Acxa didn’t let him finish, “It’s not. It’s about Fort Marmora. Recently, we’ve had an increase in Galra attacks. Over the past six years, we’ve had one Galra attack and there were only two warriors. Now, suddenly, there’s hoards of them. At least thirteen or fourteen in a pack.”

“What? The Galra base is on the other end of Altea, what’re they doing over here?” Keith’s worry suddenly turned to panic and confusion.

“I thought you might know,” Acxa furrowed her eyebrows. “We’ve had three attacks in the last two months. That has _never_ happened before.”

Keith thought for a moment. “There were Galra in the Balmera region last month,” he added.

Acxa’s eyes widened, “Balmera too? This isn’t a coincidence. Zarkon is planning something and we need to be ready.”

“How can we be ready? We don’t even know what’s going to happen.”

“The Calamity.”

Involuntarily, Keith stepped back. “That wasn’t predicted for at least another fifty years,” Keith breathed.

“Well, it’s happening now. If Zarkon can afford to attack sooner, he won’t wait. This is the beginning of an end,” Acxa stared off into the distance of Fort Marmora, her eyes hardened and grim.

Keith nodded, letting the information rattle around in his brain for another moment. Of course, his only job and his only priority was to protect Lance, but he couldn’t just let the Calamity happen without fighting. He was conflicted.

“Yorak…?” she spoke suddenly, pulling Keith from his thoughts. Keith looked at her. “You know we were just ribbing you, right? We are proud of you,” she smiled softly.

“I know,” he smiled back. They both smacked the back of their hands against each other in a loving gesture. Hugs really weren’t their thing unless they were desperate. Their mother was like that too. It was just a family thing.

Finally, they joined the others where Lance, Ezor, Narti, and Zethrid were still exchanging embarrassing stories. As they got closer, they could hear Lance cackling and Ezor trying to keep herself in check as she spoke, “He began foaming at the mouth and shaking! We were all panicking! Zethy was shouting incoherently, I was crying, Narti was running to get her mom, and Ace was actually trying to help him.”

Next to Keith, Acxa laughed as she realized what story Ezor was telling. “It’s not that funny,” Keith grumbled.

“You licked a hot-footed frog for no reason!” Lance wheezed.

“Okay, okay, but it gets better!” Ezor piped up again. “Narti’s mom, Narah, is one of the quietest, sweetest, people you’ll ever meet! She is such a sweetheart and she wouldn’t hurt a fly, okay? Well, on this day, it was her turn to supervise us all and she had looked away for half a second when Aki licked the frog. So, she looks back and there he is, dying in the grass by the pond.” Ezor hooted, pausing to take a breath.

“She starts _screeching_ like a banshee! She’s the type of person to smack you if you use bad language and she thinks ‘damn’ is a swear. Yeah, that all goes out the window. She picks Aki up and is running through the village at Mach 20 yelling ‘Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!’ Everyone is watching her go! Ace, Narti, and Zethy are racing after her, Zethy had me thrown over her shoulder because I was crying! I thought Aki was going to die!”

Lance paused his laughing long enough to choke out, “What happened next? Did he die?”

“Obviously I didn’t die, Lance.”

“Hush,” Ezor pressed her palm to Keith’s mouth, ignoring his sputtering. “At this point, Narah is screaming so loud that the entire village comes to see what’s wrong, except for Aki’s parents, because remember, they’re still at the fort. Everyone is panicking because now Aki is _heaving_ too, its just getting worse!”

Keith pushed her hand away from his mouth. “Why is my pain and suffering funny to you?”

“Because you _licked a frog!”_ Lance answered, still chortling.

“I was six!” Keith countered.

“He was fine, they got him treated. It was some weird form of rabies from the frog’s defensive poison. But then, we asked him why he licked the frog, and you know what his excuse was? He didn’t know what breed it was.” Ezor finished her tale, making eye contact with Keith and shaking her head while giggling.

Lance’s laughter was renewed, loud and bright. The kind of laughter that brought all of Keith’s other thoughts to a screeching halt as he stared in blissful wonder at the beautiful boy. He didn’t even care that they were laughing at his own six-year-old stupidity, he just wanted to hear Lance laugh a little longer.

“The message of this tale is that young Aki licks things to tell what they are. It’s important you know that,” Ezor concluded.

They all shared their stories, not all about Keith but most were. At some point, Lance got very excited about the idea of seeing Keith’s childhood home and luckily enough, Acxa was nice enough to invite them all over for lunch. Unsurprising to Lance was that the majority of the walls were covered in weapon, bow, and shield mounts, all covered with some of the best pieces made in Altea. Lance did find it humorous that Keith and Acxa were so similar in their enjoyment of fighting.

The conversation was lively and light as each of them chatted over the table, eating their stew and bread. Ezor spoke fast and excitedly, matching Lance in his own excitement. Zethrid’s voice was naturally loud and everyone listened intently to what she had to say. Acxa and Keith often spoke at the same time by accident. They didn’t say the same thing, but it was a little distracting when they would both go to talk, only to stare at the other and decide who would speak first through a series of blinks. Narti didn’t say anything. Rather, she would tug on Zethrid’s arm and sign something quickly for her to translate. She was blind and mute, but she still used sign language to communicate. It didn’t disrupt the flow of conversation though.

Lance and Keith spent the rest of the day there until they finally decided that if they didn’t leave, they wouldn’t make it back to the castle until it was dark. Lance didn’t have a problem with returning home at night, but Keith’s mind was focused on the new knowledge that the Galra were multiplying in Altea as of late. He wanted to get Lance back to the castle quickly, even though he didn’t actually want to leave Marmora Village at all.

Keith said his farewells to Acxa, Narti, Ezor, and Zethrid. On his way out of the village, he made sure to say his goodbyes to everyone else who he passed. Just as they were about to pass under the village arch and return to their horses, someone called out.

“Yorak!” a female voice shouted. Keith turned toward the girl jogging up to him, Lance watched on, untying Livia. Sanvi stopped in front of Keith, staring up at him with a light pink dusting her cheeks. “I heard you were leaving,” she said, rocking on her feet.

Keith nodded, “Yeah, I have to get back to the castle. But I’ll come visit again soon.” He smiled reassuringly at her.

“Promise?” Sanvi tilted her head.

“Promise.”

Shyly, she glanced away from Keith’s face and down to the ground as she shuffled her feet. “Stay safe, okay? I know you have to protect the Prince, but you’re important too. Don’t forget that,” she threw her arms around Keith’s neck, standing on her tiptoes to reach and pulling him down. Keith hugged Sanvi back, wrapping his arms around her torso. He didn’t say anything. It was a brief hug and as she pulled away, she pressed a kiss into Keith’s cheek before turning back to the village and racing away.

Keith watched her go, slightly confused. Suddenly, Lance was at his side. His arm slid around Keith’s shoulders and he pressed his weight into Keith. “Sanvi has a thing for you, hmm?” he commented, speaking a little faster and harder than normal. “Interesting. Wouldn’t have guessed. Well, we should go now,” Lance yanked Keith back toward Fabron, a little roughly even, then moved to get on his own horse.

“Yeah. It’s getting a little late anyways,” Keith agreed, side-eyeing Lance and pretending that he wasn’t acting odd.

Lance whirled around at that, getting right up into Keith’s face, causing the knight to draw back, startled. “I can protect you too, y’know!” he announced. Then, he climbed onto Livia and urged her away. Keith just stared, somewhat confused. Mounting Fabron, he followed along behind Lance and back to the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is probably the most on-the-nose BoTW reference. If you've played BoTW and you've made it Hateno Village, you may have noticed that Marmora Village is designed exactly the same. Klaizap is that kid who hangs out by the front entrance and Sanvi is the girl with the broom outside the general store.  
> Also, I added some random characters so it felt more like a village. Klaizap being one of them. I also added some original characters; Sanvi and Marzanna. Sanvi means 'knowledge' and Marzanna means 'death.'  
> Knowledge or death.  
> Yeah, I know, real clever there Sheksper, how long'd take ya to think'a that one??  
> And one last thing is that the story about licking the frog actually happened to my cat and while it wasn't funny at the time, when I look back, watching my mother through my bedroom window at 6:00 am racing through the snow in slippers while carrying the cat and yelling profanities was really funny.


	11. Sharks Who Bite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo my mates! This chapter is shorter than normal, especially in comparison to the last one which was 4,000. This one is roughly 1,700. But that's just the way that the story must be told. Apologies anyways!

The sun was still high in the sky but Lance was done his adventure for the day and had decided they would both head back to the castle. Secretly, Keith was very glad that they were going back inside early. Not because he didn’t enjoy being outside and not because he didn’t enjoy Lance’s escapades, he did, it was just because the threat of the Galra had been scratching incessantly at the back of his mind for the past week since they had visited Marmora Village. If Lance was at the castle, it was easier to keep him safe. Keith had full confidence in his abilities of course, but that didn’t make him any less nervous.

Lance was gesturing wildly with his hands, telling Keith all about his secret love of sharks and how beautiful they were. He wasn’t exactly paying attention to where he was walking, but that was fine since Keith was for him. Every time it looked like Lance might wander into a wall, Keith would press a hand to his shoulder to urge him away.

The air was fresh and warm as it breezed past them gently, a chinook from the mountains. They wandered aimlessly along one of the castle bridges which connected an individual tower to the rest of the building. With no destination in mind, Lance just wanted to be outside in the fresh air instead of cooped up inside, even if he didn’t necessarily feel up to exploring anywhere. Below them, various people were tending to the garden while a couple guards patrolled the perimeter.

“…which isn’t really a big deal since they can just grow their teeth back. Sometimes it only takes a day to grow back a tooth! And they have tons of teeth! Most have five rows of teeth, but some sharks have more than that. Can you image if you had five rows of teeth and they just grew back whenever?” Lance laughed, staring at Keith as he rambled on about shark teeth.

“Where would you even put that many teeth?” Keith asked.

Lance stopped walking to point at Keith intensely. “Exactly! Nowhere! Sharks have big mouths so they have room. Too bad we don’t,” he squinted in contemplation.

“I don’t know, I think you could fit five rows of teeth. You’ve got a big mouth,” Keith tried not to smirk at his own joke but he couldn’t keep it down.

“What a _biting_ comment,” Lance snarked back.

As Keith was standing next to Lance, laughing about their stupid jokes with him, he happened to glance over Lance’s shoulder. Exiting through the castle door and onto the bridge, approached a tall man with white flowing hair down to his shoulders and a pointed beard of the same shade. He was dressed in robes and accompanied by numerous guards, looking as unimpressed as ever. The orange haired man with the moustache who Keith had seen around the King a lot was also present, and even he didn’t look very pleased.

Instantly, Keith stopped laughing, clearing his face of any emotion and dropping onto one knee. He positioned his arm along his knee and bowed his head against it, staring down at the cobblestone path. The same position he took at his knighting ceremony, as was required.

Lance turned to face his father, his laughter dying once he realized who had appeared.

“What are you doing out here, Lance?” King Alfor questioned in an irritated tone of voice.

There was a pause before Lance answered, “I… I was just getting back from the Arus region. They’ve had increased numbers of Galra warriors reported there and I thought–”

Alfor didn’t let him finish, speaking over him in a commanding voice, “I know that. I am well aware of what is happening in my kingdom and it is not something to take lightly. However, as the Prince, you currently have a crucial, unfulfilled responsibility to your people.” He took a step forward. Keith wasn’t allowed to raise his head unless given permission, lest he be thrown into the dungeons, but he didn’t need to see Alfor’s face to know he was staring at Lance condescendingly. “Let me ask you once more;” he said in a low, cold voice, “when will you stop treating this as some sort of childish game?”

Keith clenched his fists, resisting every urge that told him to leap up and tell the King off. Lance’s feet shuffled backwards in front of him and Keith focused on that, grinding his teeth and feeling powerless. It was his job to protect Lance, yet here, he could do nothing.

“I’m doing everything that I can,” Lance forced out. His voice wavered. “I spent all week training, and visiting the kingdom people, and–”

“And now you are here, wasting your time,” Alfor dismissed. “You need to be dedicating every moment you have to your training and your studying. You must be single-minded in your duties as the Prince, just like your sister, and not off gallivanting around.”

Lance’s voice hardened, “Studying is useless! Don’t you see that? How are government politics going to protect the kingdom from a very real threat? I’m just trying to contribute to the people in whatever way I can!”

“No more excuses, Lance!” Alfor raised his voice. “Stop running away from your duty.” Then he sighed, as if dealing with Lance was the most exhausting thing he had ever done. When he spoke again, it was softer, almost mournful, “As the King, I forbid you from chasing ridiculous fantasies from this moment on and command you to focus on your training and studying.”

There was a sharp intake of breath from Lance above, and Keith flexed the muscles of his hands, wanting more than anything to comfort Lance, to sock Alfor right in the face and tell him how much Lance is actually doing. Keith would march into the Galra’s den right that second and fight Zarkon himself, Calamity be damned, if it meant that Lance got to look at a fucking sunset from atop a mountain cliff with a flower tucked behind his ear, like he wanted to.

But Keith couldn’t. All he could do was bow.

Alfor’s footsteps trailed over to edge of the bridge as he stared down at the people below. “Do you know how the gossip mongers refer to you?” he casually asked. “They are out there at this moment, whispering amongst themselves that you hold an empty title. Nothing but a failure. It is your duty and your destiny that you prove them wrong.”

If Keith’s blood wasn’t boiling before, then it sure was at that. Lance was none of those things and nobody thought that about him. Keith had been there when Lance had drawn a crowd at Marmora, and he had been there for every other village they went to in the week following. The people of Altea loved Lance dearly. He was looked up to as a Prince, he was stood beside as an equal, he was respected.

Never once did Lance look down on any of his citizens, he always treated them all as friends, because they were all friends. Lance could name everyone in each village and tell you all about them without a single slip up or hesitation. He was charismatic, caring, and hilarious. Anyone who didn’t know Lance, wanted to, had to. What kind of life were you living if you didn’t know or want to know Lance? No one in all of Altea could be in the role of the Prince as well as Lance. He deserved his title and he deserved his freedom.

Many people may have thought that Lance was just a time waster who didn’t like responsibility and didn’t want to do his homework. Hell, even Keith had thought that at first. But it was more than that. Lance didn’t want to waste his life away in politics and diplomatic issues, he didn’t see the enjoyment in that like Allura did or like Alfor did. Lance’s mind was a place of wonder for the world and genuine interest in the people who inhabited it. He wasn’t built for diplomacy. He was built for being a voice of the people in a more personal way than anyone else could have been and he was only playing to his strengths, helping people in ways that he knew would actually help.

Alfor just couldn’t see that. He turned to Lance. “Do you understand?” Lance didn’t answer for a moment. Keith waited, silently wishing that Lance would fight for himself.

A drop. There was a sudden drop from above onto the cobblestone, a small wet patch within Keith’s field of view. At first Keith thought it was raining, but there was only the one, right in front of Lance. It was a tear. “Yes,” Lance swallowed before whispering, “I understand.”

Alfor paused, staring at Lance. He stepped away, clearly facing Keith. Although it wasn’t, Keith almost felt as though it was a challenge from the King for him to say something, do something. Keith didn’t. He just tried his best to even his furious breathing and pressed his fingers as sharply into his palms as he could to relieve as much anger as possible. Alfor walked calmly back into the castle, his guards following behind him without another word.

The second the door closed behind them, Keith shot up, placing a gentle hand on Lance’s arm as a silent question to him. As soon as he touched Lance, the boy crumpled into him like a house of cards caving in on itself. He pressed his forehead into Keith’s shoulder, quiet tears streaming down his face. He didn’t hug Keith, he just grabbed onto the front of Keith’s tunic and didn’t move. Cautiously, Keith reached his arms around Lance and pulled him close. Keith trailed his hand up Lance’s back and tangled it amongst the hair on the back of his head, cradling him, the way Keith’s mother used to do for Keith.

All at once, Lance sniffled and pulled away from Keith. He didn’t face him, just stared straight to the castle door and subtly tried to wipe his tears away. His steps were confident as he walked toward the building, but his voice cracked when he spoke, “Homework isn’t going to do itself…”

The door opened and closed with a whining creak as Lance opened it to enter the castle. Keith just watched him for a moment, a deep pain resounding within his chest. The warm breeze ruffled his hair, no longer something he was enjoying about the day. Eventually, Keith stepped forward, following after Lance, no doubt to the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, the story begins its downward descent as everything goes to shit.
> 
> Unrelated, but I want to start another fic and I'm not sure about it. Do y'all like angst? The serious, not something that can be fixed, sort of angst. I personally can't stand serious angst but I wanna know if that's something people are into.


	12. Six Feet Under

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is fun because it tricks you into thinking things might be okay

Lance dragged his pencil across the page languidly. His hand was weighed down by exhaustion and boredom but he forced himself to keep writing. There was only so much government politics Lance could take before he started to deteriorate and let his mind wander. He had been working at it all for days, more days in a row than he had ever focused on his homework all at once. It was honestly the most draining experience ever. But he couldn’t stop himself, he couldn’t be useless, even though he knew he was in his father’s eyes. Lance sighed.

Across from him, Keith was seated at the library table just staring at Lance’s hand as it scribbled. He was glaring. It almost would have been funny or cute if Lance didn’t feel so depraved of energy and happiness. Keith’s hands kept twitching, almost like he needed something to be doing whether it be twirling a pen or brandishing his sword.

The clock in the corner ticked on. Tick. Tick. Tick. Every tick sounding louder, drilling into Lance’s head. It was like a counter for how much time he was wasting. All the words on the page had started to swim and merge together. Lance had to read an entire sentence again after it didn’t make sense because he had read ‘Yet’ as ‘Yesterday.’ Somehow. Lance really needed to get out of there, he couldn’t take it.

He suddenly scraped his chair back and across the floor, tossing his pencil down aimlessly. Keith startled in his chair and looked up at Lance with an eyebrow raised. “I need a break,” Lance told him. He could practically feel the bags under his eyes when he blinked.

“I know you do,” Keith answered back, getting up from his seat to join Lance. “Where to?”

Lance glanced to the window where he could see the rain pouring down, soaking the grass outside. His heart swelled. It hardly ever rained in Central Altea. If Lance wanted to experience rain, he had to travel to a different region entirely. For there to be rain at the castle was a one-time miracle. Lance loved rain so much, he couldn’t just pass up the opportunity. He didn’t even need to say anything for Keith to be able to read the longing in his eyes apparently, because Keith was already grabbing his wrist and pulling him along.

“I’ve got the perfect place,” Keith smiled.

The two of them hurried out of the library and through the halls at a brisk speed-walk, hoping they wouldn’t run into King Alfor or any of his goons as they rushed to the exit. Keith was in front of Lance, leading the way, when he abruptly stopped, inching around the corner to see the front gate. Lance pressed up against him, peering over his head. Just as suspected. The doors were guarded more heavily than normal. Keith huffed silently, then moved back the way they came, holding onto Lance’s wrist again.

Keith checked every hallway as they ran. Whether he was looking for an exit or more guards, Lance wasn’t sure. They moved up the stairs, down a long hallway, and past the servants’ quarters. At first, Lance had assumed they were heading for his room to get out the way Lance had before, but then he remembered that the guards knew he escaped that way and would be guarding it like dogs. Keith seemed to understand that.

Slowing to a stop, Keith let Lance’s hand go, much to Lance’s disappointment, and removed a key from his belt pockets. After he had unlocked one of the doors and slipped inside, gesturing for Lance to follow, it finally dawned on Lance that they were in Keith’s room. He took a moment to glance around the empty room. There was a small chest in the corner, a made bed, and an attached bathroom. It wasn’t much bigger than a single-bed hotel room, but he had never seen anyone with so little to their name. He stepped in further, turning around in the room. Then he saw it. Not one spot along the wall with the door didn’t have a weapon of some kind hanging from it. Lance’s jaw dropped.

“Why don’t you spread these out around the room?” Lance asked, laughing a little at the absurdity.

Keith glanced up from the window he was prying open. “Easier to grab them when I’m leaving the room. And if someone breaks into my room, they won’t see them until it’s too late. You didn’t notice them until you walked inside. Must be working,” he answered, turning back to the window. It slid open finally.

“Fair enough,” Lance nodded, staring up at the weapons again.

A pair of boots were suddenly shoved into Lance’s side. “Put these on,” Keith ordered. He put on his own hood and began tying something around windowsill.

Lance hesitantly slipped into the boots. He had thought they would be a little bit big, but they didn’t fit too bad. Still, it felt like he had two tissues boxes on his feet. Another hood was thrown onto Lance’s head while he was busy checking out his boots, then his arm was tugged toward the window.

“Hurry after me, or the guards’ll be around by the time you land,” Keith reminded. And with that, Keith leaped out of the window, sliding down the rope and hopping down. The cobblestone side was still slicked with rain and Keith slipped a couple of times but his grip on the rope was tight enough that he didn’t fall. Lance was leaning out the window, watching Keith until the knight let go and landed with the splash of his boots against the wet grass.

That was his cue. Lance quickly kicked one leg out of the window, following it closely with the other. He hadn’t anticipated just how wet the wall would be and he slipped. Luckily, he caught himself with the rope in time, but not before squeaking embarrassedly. Below, he could hear Keith shush him. Quickly as he was able, Lance scaled the castle wall. The ropes burned into his palms, the rough threads cutting in as he clung to it. Even so, Lance felt the rain tapping against his hood and excitement bubbled up in his heart. He reached the bottom, finally, and turned to Keith.

Wasting no time, Keith gripped Lance’s arm again and hurried down the thin piece of land between the castle and the main path where the guards patrolled. They kept close to the wall and their boots sloshed along the ground, but it didn’t matter because Lance’s heart was going a mile a minute and he couldn’t keep the grin on his face down if he tried. After being locked away in the castle for who-knows-how-long, he was breaking out in the middle of the night while it was raining, all with Keith as his guide.

Without warning, Lance was shoved into a wall. Keith’s hand was across his stomach. There was nothing but silence. Lance was about to ask what they were doing when he heard it. The very distinct sound of feet against waterlogged grass. A knight. Lance impatiently licked his lips and waited. Tilting his head up, Lance let the drops of water fall against his face, smiling while he did. It felt cleansing as the drops slid across his skin and down his neck. All he wanted was to enjoy it and not have to sneak around.

There was a snort beside him and Lance turned to see Keith smiling softly at him. Too soft. Fond and endearing. It stirred Lance’s heart, making him overly aware of how close the two were. Not just physically either. You don’t go become partners in crime with someone you don’t trust. He could feel his cheeks blooming with heat.

“It’s clear,” Keith whispered. This time when he grabbed Lance, he held his hand instead of his wrist. Lance was short-circuiting. Good thing Keith wasn’t paying attention because all Lance could focus on was how nice Keith’s hand felt, callouses, cuts, and all.

They closed in on a small building which was slightly obscured through the rainy darkness of the night. Once they were closer though, Lance could see it was the blacksmith’s workshop. He didn’t go there a lot since he had no need to, but he had been once or twice. Keith probably went all the time.

Slipping inside as quickly and quietly as they could, Keith made a point of closing and locking the door behind him. Lance stared at him confused. Keith just ignored the look and pushed his way to the back. “Pidge?” he called.

There was a clattering before a short girl with tousled hair and glasses emerged from behind a desk. “Hey! You’ve returned from the land of the dead! I was beginning to wonder, honestly. Have you seen this rain? It’s so cold out that when you opened the door, the light in the front went on,” she rambled.

“Pidge,” Keith said.

“Get it? Like a fridge?”

“ _Pidge,_ ” Keith said again, more urgently.

She sighed, “You could at least pity laugh, Keith. Now, what’s up?”

Keith flicked his head toward the backdoor of the shop while explaining, “I need you to let us into the weapons yard.”

Pidge raised an eyebrow, “Us?” she asked.

Lance, realizing he was standing next to an armoured mannequin and probably blended in, especially with the poor lighting of the shop, stepped forward, removing his hood. “Yeah, hi! The name’s Lance, nice to meet you,” Lance greeted as he came to stand next to Keith.

Pidge’s eyes widened, “Holy shit, you’re the Prince…”

Lance smiled, hoping to look as friendly as possible. He wouldn’t admit it, but he wanted to make a good impression on Keith’s friends. “And you’re Pidge! I’ve heard lots about you,” he conversed, stepping forward some more.

Suddenly, without any warning, Pidge launched herself onto the desk, screeching bloody murder, _“You crook! Lowlife!”_ Lance yelped at that.

Keith wrapped his arm around her midsection right as she was about to leap off the desk, dragging her back and away from Lance. He stared down at her wide-eyed. “Pidge! Calm down!” he shouted.

“This heathen has my core!” she shrieked.

“It’s not your core!” Keith yelled back.

“You bloody reprobate! Let me go!” Pidge punched Keith’s arm, doing absolutely nothing. Keith dropped Pidge back onto the ground, ready to grab her again, just in case. She glared at Lance, “You’re lucky he was holding me back…” Lance watched the entire exchange, chuckling to himself but still a little threatened by Pidge.

“Sorry about that… She really wants that core that you found, what, a month ago?” Keith turned to stare hard at Pidge as he said the last part, trying his best to illustrate just how ridiculous she was being.

Lance waved a hand dismissively, “No problem. Allura is always stealing supplies from my drawing set. She doesn’t even draw! I have no idea what she’s using them for, but they always come back mangled. So, I get it, man.”

Pidge, now grumbling to herself behind the desk, abruptly stood, staring directly at Lance. “Wait a minute, aren’t you on lockdown?” She fumbled around behind her desk, looking for the key to the weapons yard.

“Yeah, about that,” Keith added from beside her, “don’t tell anyone about this…”

Pidge stared owlishly at him for a moment, pausing her search. Then she narrowed her eyes and a smirk spread across her face. She chuckled darkly, “Prison break, huh?” Her eyes bore into Keith, who glared at her as if trying to communicate something to her. Lance didn’t understand it. “Well, the price of my silence is just one, measly, tiny, insignificant, forgettable–”

“I can’t give you the core,” Lance interrupted.

Pidge sighed heavily, dead look in her eye.

“But I can get Hunk to make you a strawberry shortcake!” Lance suggested, grinning at the girl.

Considering it for a moment, Pidge finally relented, “Alright, Prince Lamppost, you got yourself a deal.” She brought the key up to her face and mimed locking her mouth. “My lips are sealed,” she assured, then tilted her wrist to hand the key to Keith.

Keith sighed in relief, smiling finally, “Thanks, Pidge! I owe you a solid!” He rushed to the weapons yard door.

“Bye, Pidge!” Lance called back as he followed Keith.

“Yeah, yeah,” she waved. “Keep it PG back there, boys!” Lance’s face blossomed red again, as if he wasn’t blushing enough without Pidge being able to see right through him. Was he that obvious? Pidge seemed nice but Lance needed to get away from her immediately.

They stepped through the door and hurried through the grass to a small, locked gate surrounded by high fences. Keith unlocked it using the key and pulled Lance in as quickly as he could, locking the door behind him.

The weapons yard was a large portion of land used for practicing weapon use. It was mostly for knights in training who couldn’t yet be trusted not to take someone’s eye out with a sword, which was why it was so closed off. Pidge held it because it was part of her job to fit weapons to new knights before they were allowed into the weapons yard. Her building was also the closest.

Keith lowered his hood and held his gloved hands out, letting the rain hit him. He smiled at Lance. Removing his own hood, Lance joined Keith in the rain, relishing in the feeling of water pattering onto his head and neck, his hand and arms, his face. He stuck his tongue out to catch some droplets. It wasn’t snow but that wouldn’t stop Lance.

“Why do you like rain so much?” Keith suddenly asked. His hair was slicked to his neck and his bangs were dripping onto the ground in front of him.

“Listen. I love the sound,” Lance closed his eyes, taking in the sounds of the rain. “And the smell,” he added, cracking an eye open. Keith’s eyes were closed and he breathed in deeply, following Lance’s lead. “The feeling of the rain,” he quietly said, lifting Keith’s hands higher to better touch the sky. “I love how it washes everything away.”

“Wash away your sins,” Keith mumbled.

Lance laughed, pulling Keith by the arm until they were pressed up against each other. He cupped Keith’s hand with his own and put his other hand on Keith’s shoulder. A gloved hand found its way around Lance’s waist and Lance couldn’t help but giggle. “Cleansing my soul,” he chuckled.

They danced together in the dark with the only music being the sound of the tittering rain around them. Their clothes were drenched and their hair was soaked, but it didn’t take anything away from the experience. Lance was happy. He loved being close with Keith, seeing Keith smile, sharing his love of the rain with Keith. The beating of his heart was sped up at being within such close proximity to Keith, but it didn’t feel awkward or nerve-wracking at all. It was just calm and beautiful, the way it should be.

All good things must come to an end though, and that moment for Lance was when his eyes connected with the sword on Keith’s back. It was his fault that Keith had to follow him around all the time anyways, always in danger for Lance since Lance couldn’t be in danger himself. Keith could do his job, he could follow his role. What could Lance do? Ruin the kingdom, according to his father. The bitterness that had permeated within his veins made itself known again. He stared down at Keith’s small smile and his distant eyes, focused on nothing in particular. It made his heart hurt. Keith might be the death of Lance, but what Lance truly feared, was that he might be the death of Keith.

“Acxa’s a knight, isn’t she?” Lance found himself suddenly asking.

Keith’s attention switched over to Lance, staring up at him. “A general. Fort Marmora,” he answered.

“And Shiro is a general.” Lance tilted his head, “What do your parents do?”

“They were knights in the Marmora Unit too.”

“Were?”

Keith nodded solemnly, “Yeah… They, uh… They died four years ago.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean…” Lance trailed off.

Smiling sadly, Keith dismissed Lance’s worries, “It’s not your fault.”

“You’re following the family path,” Lance commented. “Dedicating yourself to becoming a knight. That takes a lot of commitment and hard work… S’admirable,” Lance muttered. If they weren’t as close as they were, Keith surely wouldn’t have heard him at all. “I get why they chose you as an appointed knight…”

Keith’s eyebrows furrowed in suspicion tinged with concern. “Are you alright, Lance?” Keith asked softly, slowing down their already leisurely dance.

Avoiding the question, Lance pressed on, “What if… one day… you realized that you just weren’t meant to be a fighter…?” Lance swallowed. “But the only thing that people ever said was that you were born into a family of knights, and so no matter what you thought or what you wanted, you had to become a knight too. Sometimes what you want isn’t necessarily what you get. If that was the only thing that anyone ever told you, would you still be here, now? Would you have chosen something else instead?” It all came out in a rush and once it was in the air between them, Lance regretted it. He tried to pull his hand back, move away from Keith, but he was held in place.

“What’re you talking about?” Keith’s voice dripped with genuine worry as he tried to make Lance stay.

Lance couldn’t look him in the eye, so he stared at the ground. He took a few steadying breaths, licking his lips and swallowing just to waste time. “I don’t think that I’m… cut out to be a Prince…” His voice lowered even further until there was barely sound coming from his mouth at all, “I don’t know that I wanna be a Prince…”

Keith just stared at him silently for a moment. Then, just as quietly as Lance, he asked, “Is this about your father?”

“It’s about everyone apparently,” Lance bitterly muttered. “I guess I already hold an empty title anyways…”

“Lance,” Keith sternly said, no longer whispering. It startled Lance a bit, pulling his eyes away from the ground to look directly into Keith’s defiant eyes. “That isn’t true.”

“Keith, you don’t have to lie to make me feel better…”

Lance was interrupted, the hand at his hip tightening enough to capture his focus but not enough to actually hurt him. “No, listen to me. You are an incredible Prince and no one thinks your title is empty. We haven’t run into a single person who doesn’t like you in all of Altea. Everyone loves you and respects you. What’s more important than a Prince who cares about his people? Just because you aren’t good at the political stuff, doesn’t mean you’re not good at anything. I’m no royal, but I know it takes a lot more than that to be a Prince. When you do the things you love, you excel, I’ve seen it. You make a perfect Prince,” his eyes pierced into Lance, embedding his words within the Prince’s mind, “and it’s an honour to protect you.”

An unbelievable amount of heat radiated through Lance’s heart and chest, warming him up. His breathing faltered, he sniffled and tears pricked at Lance’s eyes, but he didn’t let them fall. His hands shook and he dug his fingers into Keith’s shoulder and hand, steadying himself from the onslaught of emotion that Keith had induced. And those violet eyes like galaxies of boldness and dedication were on Lance, emitting every last ounce of strength they could to him, as if by staring alone, they could repair Lance’s thoughts. It was working too.

Lance let his head fall forward against Keith’s. Rain was glossed over his skin, sticking them together, although Lance really couldn’t bring himself to mind at all. He took a sloshing boot step towards Keith, pressing them ever closer. Lance shifted his gaze back and forth between both of Keith’s eyes, drawn to them like a sailor to the song of the siren. Gentle breaths tickled Lance’s skin, intoxicating, elating. Lance couldn’t hear himself think, couldn’t even hear the deafening thudding of his own heart over the pattering of the rain. Faint freckles dotted Keith’s face. Had those always been there? Lance found himself wanting to kiss them.

“Keith…?” Lance whispered. Keith twitched at the feeling of Lance’s breath ghosting over his lips. “Can I…?”

There was a soft huff of laughter before Keith was tilting his face down until their noses brushed, “Fuck, yes.”

Lance didn’t waste a second, pressing his lips against Keith, sighing in relief when they connected. He instantly melted, letting himself stumble forward into Keith, forcing him back. Smooth lips glided over rough, catching and pulling against each other. They were slightly out of sync, desperate yet deliberate in their movements, but Lance didn’t mind. Keith hummed into Lance’s mouth, almost involuntarily. It ignited confidence within Lance. He backed Keith up a little farther and breathed in deeply, disconnecting from the kiss briefly.

They both stared into the other’s eyes intensely, gauging reactions, lips parted and hearts racing. Lance could tell purely by the look in his eyes that Keith wanted more. He wasn’t done either, sliding his hands up Keith’s neck to entangle them in his long, wet hair and kissing him again. Keith’s hands grasped onto the back of Lance’s shirt, yanking him closer impatiently. Their heads tilted, noses bumping and brushing, teeth getting in the way, hair swiping over each others skin. Keith smelled vaguely of rainwater and mint, enticing Lance and urging him to tug Keith a little closer.

Without warning, Lance snaked his arms over Keith’s shoulders and bounced up, wrapping his legs around Keith’s torso. The shorter boy made a startled noise before stumbling backwards into the wall of the weapons yard. He didn’t protest though, just pulled back slightly to let out a laugh, held Lance’s legs up, and met him back in the middle to continue where they left off. Keith spun them around, pushing Lance into the wall instead to help keep him up. Lance gasped softly against Keith’s lips. Then, in a bout of sureness, Lance carefully took Keith’s bottom lip in his teeth, tugging gently. Keith groaned, causing Lance to smirk slightly and watch Keith through lidded eyes.

How they didn’t notice was a mystery, but by the time Lance’s eyes caught the movement and his ears picked up on the sloshing, it was already too late. Keith was ripped violently away from Lance, dropping him gracelessly in the process. Lance grunted as he hit the waterlogged grass, then he stared up, wide eyed, at their assailant.

With one hand clutching the back of Keith’s tunic, dragging him up enough that he had to stand on his toes, and the other hand pressing a sword’s edge to his neck, Lotor leered down at Lance. “This doesn’t look like studying, Prince Lance,” he sarcastically commented. “In fact, this looks _illegal_ ,” as he spoke the last word, he averted his eyes to glare directly at Keith with a fire that could only allude to a long wait for this very moment. “Assaulting the Prince, the very person you were hired to protect? Well, you’ll be lucky to keep your head.”

“He wasn’t assaulting me!” Lance shouted, standing up to his full height and sneering at Lotor. “Let him go,” he commanded.

Lotor didn’t listen, he just laughed, “Who do you think the King will believe?”

“You bastard, I’ll gut you,” Keith hissed. He struggled against Lotor’s hold, only to have the sword pressed further into his skin.

“Don’t make this more difficult. You’re a hindrance to him,” Lotor spat. And with that, he began hauling Keith away.

Lance chased after them, aiming to fight Lotor with every bit of strength he possessed, but on the other side of the weapon yard gate, the knights were already rushing toward the scene. Keith was turned back, staring at Lance with a frenzied look. He reached his hand out. Lance was just about to grab it when the knights reached him, holding him back.

“Lance!” Keith cried. Knights were on him instantly, removing him from Lotor’s hold and restraining him as he struggled.

“Keith!” Lance shouted back desperately.

The rain around them was still pouring as the King hurried out to the yard where the commotion was happening. He was accompanied by a couple more guards. “What’s the meaning of this?” he demanded as he saw his son being contained.

“Assault on the Prince,” Lotor informed, sounding as bored as if he was speaking of the weather. He pointed a finger to Keith, wild-eyed and glaring daggers at the King as he arrived.

“He didn’t!” Lance shouted, yanking his arm free of the guards only to be pulled back in.

Lotor continued, “Osculation.”

The King’s face darkened as he stared Keith down. “Is this true?”

Keith didn’t speak, he just furiously stared the King in the eye. Everyone waited for his answer. The pattering of the rain echoed in Lance’s ears as he stared at Keith, begging him to deny it or stay silent, anything. “It’s true,” Keith growled, no hesitation in his answer. His eyes bore into the King’s, challenging him.

"Do you understand what your job is?" the King hissed.

A fury bubbled up in Keith, visible in the way his eyes widened in anger and he pulled harder to escape the knights. “Of course I do! I actually give a shit about Prince Lance, unlike _Alfor_ over here! I protect him more than you do and you're his own father!” Keith roared, completely disregarding the King's title, his voice rising as he struggled against the guards’ hold. "Everyone in Altea cares about Prince Lance more than you and he cares more about this kingdom than you ever could!" His eyes were wild and he spat at the King's feet to punctuate his sentence.

The King stared him down. “Execution,” he darkly decreed.

 _“NO!”_ Lance screeched. He tugged harder at the guards’ hands clutching his arms, but to no avail. Tears flowed down his face, mixing with the rain and blurring his vision. Keith’s eyes widened briefly, fear reflected in them, before they narrowed into something more dangerous, threatening. _“Keith! Let go of me!”_ They didn’t listen to Lance, they just tugged Keith away, through the yard and back to the castle, all to the tune of Lance’s hysterical screaming.

“Where are you taking him?!” Lance could hear Pidge hollering in the distance as he was tugged back to the castle by his own guards. It just made Lance shriek more.

By the time they brought Lance back into the castle, his chest was heaving as he struggled to get air into his lungs. He couldn’t breathe, he was choking on his own panicked sobs. The room was spinning around him, blurry from tears and moving too quickly. He was sure that if the knights weren’t holding him up, he would drop to the ground like a stone. Lance was shrieking, his cries echoing off the halls, alerting everyone to his presence, although Lance couldn’t hear it, his ears were ringing, muffled and clouded as though he were underwater. The pain in his chest was unbearable as he kicked and thrashed against the guards.

This couldn’t be happening, it just couldn’t. This was all a nightmare. Lance would wake up soon. They couldn’t kill Keith.

Except, they could, and they would. Lance knew that his father’s order was law, it was no game. Keith would be dead within the week, after he was denounced from his position, a new knight was appointed, and his living relatives had been informed of the execution. There would be no trial. That would be it.

Lance was hauled all the way to his room, where they rested him on the bed. He didn’t stay there long, launching himself off the mattress to attack the guards, anything so that he could get to Keith. They just slammed the door in his face before he could reach them. Faintly, he heard the King wish him a good night. As if he could sleep knowing Keith was set to be killed. Lance frantically tugged at the door, but it was locked. He wasn’t surprised, he knew they would lock it. Lance screamed at the unmoving door anyways. The window! He turned, only to see that it had been blocked off from the outside by a metal plank. There were no doubt guards below too, standing watch. The panic began to set even further in his bones but he continued to search the room for a way out for hours, until finally, fatigue set in. He passed out on the floor by the door, light-headed and dizzy from wailing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a very real note, I watched season four and I'm not even remotely okay, everything from this season has fucked me right over. But nothing, and I mean nothing, has fucked with me nearly as much as Lotor's ARM THING did. When he twisted his arms all the way around like that, I just screamed, my buddy can attest. I thought he was going to break the damn cuffs like a normal person but holy shit nope. I've been thinking about it for days and I will continue to think about it for the rest of this lifetime. Am I revolted or is it my new kink? A bit of both, probably.
> 
> Also, another note I have. When Matt and Pidge yelled "Tesla" while they high-fived for literally no other reason than that they're the nerdy characters, I actually had to pause the damn show and take a walk. Wwwwwwwwwhy would you write that into the script???
> 
> That obligatory "don't do drugs, kids" episode with Coran on fuckin meth was dope though dude. Coran is a gorgeous man.
> 
> And one last one, in the first episode when Keith is talking to Shiro and Shiro gets all up in Keith's face at 5:38 exactly. That right there is my favourite Keith expression. Thank you for that. I love Keith so much, when will he return from the Blade of GiveMeMyFuckingSonBack
> 
> Anyways, those were my non-spoiler thoughts.


	13. The Calamity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this chapter. It's the last bit of happiness you'll get.

Morning came sooner than Lance was expecting. He woke up in a startle, flailing on the floor as someone pounded on his door. “Prince Lance, you are requested in the courtyard by the order of the King,” the person shouted.

Lance groaned, pulling himself up from the ground and blinking sporadically for a moment. He scraped the crust out of his eyes, yawned, then stretched his arms out in front of him.

That was when it hit him. The events from the day before; their kiss, Keith’s arrest, Keith’s sentence, the King, Lotor, all of it. Lance scrambled up, rushing to get out of the room and down the hall as fast as he could. He nearly barrelled directly into the guard standing outside his door waiting for a response. Lance didn’t care. There was no time to worry about anything but Keith. They could be setting up his execution while Lance was fucking around with his hair or something. Well, he knew they probably weren’t, but that didn’t mean Keith was in the clear, not at all.

Perhaps the King wanted to inform him on details pertaining to Keith. Lance raced faster, through the halls and down all the stairs. He bumped into and shoved over many people on his way, shouting back a quick apology as he sprinted away, but he didn’t pause for any of them. Once he hit the door for the courtyard, slamming it open and tumbling inside, he was panting and staring around frantically. He fully expected to see Keith standing there in cuffs, but he wasn’t. Instead, there was a girl with long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail and traditional knight’s armour. She was speaking with the King, but as soon as Lance rocketed into the room, she turned to greet him.

“Prince Lance,” she bowed, “it’s a pleasure to be your knight.” She smiled at him.

Lance stared between her and his father, confused and panicked. “What…?” he panted out, still frantic.

“Lance, this is your new appointed knight, Nyma. We will have the ceremony tomorrow, but I figured you should meet your knight first this time,” King Alfor explained. There was a tinge of challenge in his tone, as though he expected Lance to fight back.

Fight back, he would. Lance stared defiantly at his father and, with as much venom in his tone as he could muster, hissed out, “I already have a knight.”

“And now you have a new one. Nyma.”

The girl in between the two of them began to look uncomfortable, and frankly, a little scared. Lance would have felt bad for her if Keith wasn’t about to be hanged for nothing.

“Where’s Keith?” Lance asked, ignoring his father’s comment.

“That is none of your concern and I suggest you forget that boy,” King Alfor dismissed. And with that, he left through the courtyard doors, not giving Lance so much as a sparing look as he passed.

Rage boiled within Lance, nearly overshadowing the helpless horror which threatened to spill tears over his eyes. He tried to think about where they might have taken Keith. The dungeon seemed like the obvious option but even then, what could Lance do? He wouldn’t be able to get past the knights, let alone open the door.

Lance glanced back to Nyma. It really wasn’t fair to her since she was just a capable knight, completely detached from the situation. He couldn’t take it out on her, that would be a horrible thing to do. Lance’s feelings for Keith and the problem at hand revolving around that weren’t related to Nyma at all. He gave Nyma an apologetic smile before rushing out of the room. Keith wasn’t going to die, not on Lance’s watch.

In times of stress when Lance was panicking and not sure what to do, he would go to his sister. Allura always knew what to do and she could keep a level head, which was why she was the future leader of Altea and Lance was not. He hurried through the halls, checking everywhere for Allura. Luckily, before searching too hard, he passed a window and noticed Allura standing in the front lawn speaking to someone. Lance did a double-take, then sprinted to the front entrance of the castle, and around to where his sister was.

In a group, all discussing something, was Allura, Shiro, Pidge, and Hunk. Lance hurried over, drawing their attention to him.

“Lance!” Hunk cried out, meeting him halfway. “Oh, thank goodness! I was so worried! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Hunk,” Lance assured, still frenzied from the situation at hand.

Hunk sighed, “Did you know that Keith was arrested?”

Lance made a screeching noise, letting himself collapse against Hunk. “I know! And it’s all my fault! I don’t know what to do!”

“It’s not your fault,” Hunk hugged Lance, patting him on the back. Allura, Pidge, and Shiro joined the two.

“Lance, I’ve heard the story from Pidge and we’re going to do everything we can do to free Keith, I promise,” Allura reassured Lance, placing her hand on his shoulder.

Shiro nodded, “We won’t let them kill Keith.”

“Thank you,” Lance smiled sadly.

“Who’s that?” Pidge asked suddenly.

They all turned. Jogging over to them, was Nyma, looking a little frazzled at how quickly Lance had managed to escape her. She didn’t seem too happy either. Lance grumbled. He had thought he had successfully outran her and gotten away.

“Nyma. My new knight.”

Pidge glared at her while Hunk, Allura, and Shiro stared at her uneasily. They all knew what a new knight meant. “Okay, we really need to save Keith and fast,” Pidge decided. “I don’t care if I have to go down to the dungeons right now and blow the whole castle up, we are getting that kid out of there.” She clenched her fists angrily. Lance couldn’t help the guilt that overtook him, seeing Pidge so upset about something that was Lance’s own fault. He glanced to Shiro, seeing the pain in his eyes at how helpless the situation seemed. It caused him to think about everyone in Marmora Village and how much they loved and cared for Keith.

 

_“Stay safe, okay? I know you have to protect the Prince, but you’re important too. Don’t forget that.”_

_“I can protect you too, y’know!”_

 

Fresh tears prickled Lance’s eyes. He hadn’t protected Keith. He had gotten him arrested and sentenced to death. His heart clenched and his head began to hurt. Hunk hugged him tighter, recognizing that he was crying but not wanting to make it obvious to the others.

“I’ve talked with the guards watching over Keith and it seems that they’ve been instructed not to take orders from anyone but the King. If we want to get Keith out, we’re going to have to go through father,” Allura explained.

“Could my stance as a general help persuade him?” Shiro asked.

Allura thought on it for a moment, nodding slowly, “Perhaps. I’m not entirely sure if it will be enough though.”

“King Alfor better free Keith or he’s gonna have to answer to me! And I’m the one with all the weapons!” Pidge shouted angrily. She was only riling herself up.

Allura furrowed her eyebrows at Pidge. Lance wasn’t exactly big on killing his father, but Pidge did have a point. “We don’t have a lot of time,” Lance added quietly. Everyone turned to him, sharing a moment of silence as they all let the realization that Keith could very honestly be executed settle on them. Even Nyma looked hurt. In less than a week, Keith could just be entirely out of their lives forever all because he fell for the Prince he was supposed to protect and that Prince fell just as hard back. How could Lance look Keith’s friends and family in the eye ever again knowing that he was dead because he kissed Lance.

Before any of them could break the depressing silence that had fallen over the group, a sudden barrage of noise alerted them all to the forest bordering the castle. Countless knights were racing back to the castle grounds, some on foot and some on horse back. All were screaming. Lance lifted himself off of Hunk to better see what was going on. It was difficult to make out what any of them were saying as they scrambled away from whatever it was, but they didn’t need to hear it, they could see just fine.

Through the woods came the Galra. Not just some measly soldiers like had been happening recently, but an entire legion. Wave after wave of heavily armed warriors rolled over the hill, flowing toward the castle. There were more Galra than Lance had ever seen in his life. All around them, people were shouting and running, passing Lance, bumping into him and everyone else in their mad-dash. Lance could feel the hairs on his arms stand up, a chill running down his spine.

“He’s here,” Allura breathed, backing up slightly and unconsciously reaching to pull Pidge back with her.

“This is it, then,” Pidge narrowed her eyes and let herself be tugged back.

Hunk tore his gaze away from the mass of soldiers advancing on them to stare between the others. “Are you sure?” his voice wavered, scared.

“Positive,” Shiro’s jaw settled.

“Zarkon is awake,” Lance finally said. Nyma moved in closer to him, attempting to put a barrier between the hoard and the Prince, although she was shaking.

Allura yanked Pidge’s arm hard, removing her from her trance and urging her to run. The others noticed, following. They rushed toward the castle, hoping to get there before it went into lockdown. Lance glanced back, his eyes widening as he caught a glimpse of Zarkon in the back, standing eight feet tall and ready to crush Altea. Lance sucked in a breath and hurried to regain his balance after nearly tripping.

Once they were up the front steps and through the gates, the guards slammed the doors shut, locking them. There was a lot of yelling. Everyone was trying to get the castle defenses up and functioning before the Galra could arrive but it was frenzied. King Alfor still needed to be alerted.

Nyma grabbed Lance’s arm, preparing to lead him away. “Come. We should go. We need to get you someplace safe,” she ordered.

He freed himself from her grasp, stumbling back. “No! I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying here to help, however I can. And I am definitely not leaving Keith in a cell while we’re under attack,” he shouted.

Hunk placed a hand on his shoulder, offering his calmness.

“Prince Lance is right! We can’t leave Keith in the dungeon,” Pidge defended, stepping up.

“This could be perfect,” Shiro suddenly said. “No one will notice if we break Keith out in this commotion.”

Allura made a face of doubt. “I wish to help Keith as much as all of you, but breaking him out doesn’t free him from the King’s orders,” she reminded.

“The way it’s looking right now, I don’t think the King is going to be too concerned about where Keith is,” Hunk glanced back to the door nervously.

“We could use all the help we can get fighting off Zarkon anyways,” Shiro added.

“Please, Allura,” Lance whispered. She stared at him, pain and sadness in her eyes. Lance knew that she hated going against their father, she always had. The respect she held for him and his position was so high that for her to sidestep a law was unheard of. It was a part of why she was the next-in-line and why the Altean people loved her, but it was also a downfall of hers. Lance pleaded with his eyes, hoping to convey with his soul the love he felt for Keith which words couldn’t get across.

Finally, Allura hardened her gaze, still meeting Lance’s eye. “You’re all right. Let’s go save Keith.”

No one needed an invitation. Immediately, they all took off sprinting, losing Nyma in the crowd on their way. Lance was in the lead – partly because of his long legs and partly because he needed to get to Keith – while the others all followed behind, racing past terrified people all huddled in the castle. The sound of cannons being fired from the castle boomed through the halls, shaking the building itself and sending jolts through Lance. He wondered if Keith could feel it and if he knew what was happening.

Through the halls and down various flights of stairs, Lance led the group. The cells were on the very lowest level of the castle, harbouring very few criminals, but all deserving nonetheless. Killers, terrorists, rapists, thieves, you name it. Amongst all of them, nestled in the back, was the curled up, small frame of a boy who clearly didn’t belong with the others. His crimson tunic was covered in mud and his hair looked matted from lack of grooming after being in the rain. Lance was almost afraid to see his face, which was buried in his knees. The castle shook again, reminding Lance that there were bigger things to fear.

“Keith!” Lance cried, slamming his full body into the bars of the cell.

Keith startled, staring up at Lance and the others in surprise. Then he leaped up to his feet, reaching his hand out through the bars. Lance took it without hesitation, intertwining their fingers together and squeezing.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Lance mumbled, pressing his forehead to the bar and staring at Keith.

“It’s not your fault,” Keith muttered back. He smiled weakly as if he had already resigned himself to the notion that he would be killed. It twisted Lance’s insides uncomfortably.

Shiro stared at Keith with anger, “We’re going to get you out of here.”

“We’re here to save you!” Hunk smiled comfortingly.

“Don’t worry, Keith,” Allura agreed.

Keith’s smile became a little stronger.

Pidge crowded against the cell door just as Lance had, reaching out to take Keith’s other hand. He let her. “You’re an idiot. Let me tell you how much of an idiot you are,” she reprimanded, still crushing his hand in her grip. “I warned you! What the fuck did I say about tongue wrestling and oubliettes?!”

Keith’s face burned red. Lance’s did too, although he couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. Shiro was snickering behind Pidge while Allura held a hand up to her face to stifle her giggles. Hunk’s mouth opened slightly, unbelieving of what he was hearing.

“I’m not in an oubliette!” Keith countered. The bite was taken off his words by how hot his face was.

Pidge shook her head, “But you are in jail. And it is for tongue wrestling.” She gave a meaningful look to Keith, then to Lance.

Keith briefly closed his eyes in emotional struggle. “Please tell me you’re here to execute me,” he mumbled.

“Not today, buddy,” Hunk laughed.

“Unfortunate,” Pidge clicked her tongue. Lance smiled. He knew she was on the verge of crying earlier. Not that Lance wasn’t, he totally was, but he wasn’t pretending. Pidge and Keith’s hands were still connected though, so Keith could probably tell.

The castle shook again.

Lance made a show of splaying his arms out toward the lock. “Can we get this door opened so I can properly hug my boyfriend and then we can go kick some Galra ass?” he asked impatiently.

Everyone agreed, suddenly getting serious. Lance tried his best to ignore the leap his heart made when Keith muttered “Boyfriend…” under his breath.

“I’m gonna blow this door off its hinges, so everyone should step back,” she warned, dropping Keith’s hand and removing an explosive from her pocket.

“Pidge!” Allura gasped.

“I know you’re in charge of castle weapons, but I agree with the Princess, maybe we shouldn’t– oh, okay, you’re doing it anyways. That’s fine then.” Hunk stepped back to the far wall to stay away from the blast.

Allura and Shiro followed his lead. Lance grasped Keith’s hand tighter once more, then pulled away, joining his sister at the wall. Keith flattened himself up against the wall on the other side of his cell, farthest from the door while Pidge set up her explosive. Once she was out of the range of the tiny bomb, she clicked the detonator. Lance wasn’t ready for the volume of the noise created by the bomb. He knew it would be loud, but he didn’t expect the ringing in his ears, disorientating him for a moment. The door to the cell clattered to the ground, shards splintering off the walls.

Keith stumbled through the smoke and out of the cell, coughing and blinking rapidly. He seemed just as disorientated as Lance, but quickly, the fierce light returned to his eyes and he hurried to join the rest of the group, walking his stumble off.

Pidge and Shiro pulled him in close, nearly toppling over each other in their attempt to hug him. Lance hurried over, joining the hug and adding a kiss to Keith’s cheek. He grinned as Keith’s face heated up again. Hunk, without a single doubt, leaped into the hug, tugging Allura in with them until the entire group hug dissolved into laughter.

“I can’t believe you went ahead and did exactly what we warned you not to do,” Shiro shook his head.

“I encouraged Lance,” Allura admitted, cringing at herself. “I encouraged Keith too, now that I think about it…”

Pidge snorted, “I think we all encouraged it.”

“I know I did,” Lance joked, staring lovingly at Keith’s blushing face.

Once more, the castle rumbled, pulling them all out of the happy scene.

“We need to go,” Shiro said seriously, breaking apart from the hug along with everyone else. “Pidge, we have to get to our posts.”

Nodding, Pidge agreed, “I have to get our Galra weapons to the troops. I made them specifically for the Calamity.”

“You should all get to the safe room,” suggested Shiro.

“I must find father and Lotor,” Allura gravely stated. “I’ll meet you all at the safe room.”

“No, no way,” Lance interrupted. “There is no way we’re letting you go on your own.”

Hunk raised a hand, “I could go with her while Lance and Keith go to the safe room. Then we’ll meet back up there with King Alfor and Lotor.”

No one objected. Lance thought it over for a moment, unsure if that was really the best course of action. The castle was under attack though, and that didn’t leave a lot of room to hum and haw while they debated. “Alright,” Lance relented. “I guess that’s better than nothing. Let’s go.”

And with that, they all nodded, hurrying in their own directions. Keith and Lance stopped at the belongings lockup to grab Keith’s weapon and shield before they were on their way again. Lance worried about the others as Keith led him through the castle, but he knew they were all very capable. They would be fine. They could handle themselves. Besides, Lance wasn’t going to take this attack laying down, no sir. He was going to do something about this. Keith was about to turn off down a hallway that would have taken them to the safe room, but Lance had other plans. He grabbed Keith’s hand and tugged him down a different hall, eliciting a confused grunt from Keith. Lance didn’t turn though, he just hurried along toward the stables while hoping it wouldn’t be too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter's not too boring, I worry sometimes. 
> 
> In other news, I thankfully am not swamped with school this year and I'm the opposite of a procrastinator (precrastinator? concrastinator?) which means I have a lot of time to write more works, so hopefully I'll get some new stuff out soon too. Not that y'all'll notice a difference because I prewrite everything, but hey, maybe you're interested, what do I know??
> 
> D'y'all think Keith could have O.D.D.? I do, but maybe that's just me? I ain't no doctor though so,,,,,


	14. It Was an Honour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm gonna be nice here and warn you that this is probably a chapter you don't want to read in public or around other people in general. Prepare yourself, friends.

A moment ago, Lance and Keith had been on their way to the safe room, and now Lance was going off down another hallway, as if the whole place wasn’t in a crisis. This was no time for adventures and games. But, Keith was Lance’s knight and he would protect Lance no matter what. It didn’t even matter that he was Lance’s knight, he would have followed him into a blazing building anyways. Maybe Keith was a little bit too far gone. Keith suddenly recognized where they were headed. He pulled Lance’s arm, drawing him back.

“Whoa, Lance, are we going to the stables?” he asked, staring seriously into Lance’s eyes.

Lance’s eyes shifted uneasily between Keith’s eyes before he sighed, “Yes. Okay, yes.”

“Lance! It’s not safe and you know that!” Keith unconsciously dug his nails into Lance’s arm.

“I know! But hear me out!” Lance paused, waiting for him to interject but he stayed silent. “All the towns in Altea; who is going to warn them and help them? They don’t have enough soldiers, they’re not equipped! Balmera, Daibazaal, Arus, Olkari,” he gave Keith a pointed look, _“Marmora.”_

Keith shook his head, dispelling the images of Lance being surrounded by his family, laughing and chatting with them as old friends. His face scrunched up into one of genuine anger, torn between his village and his duty. “Stop. Right now,” Keith hissed. “I know what you’re doing. Don’t guilt trip me.”

“Keith, please,” Lance grabbed at Keith’s arms, attempting to regain his attention.

“No, shut up, Lance. We’re going to the safe room,” Keith growled.

“Please!” Lance begged, “I know I can’t do anything on the battlefield, but I can do this. I can help my people. I have to do something or else my dad is right and I really am a useless title. But you’re right, I can be more. This is my chance. Come with me.”

Glaring at Lance, trying his best to fight against him, to follow his pledged loyalty to Altea and protect Lance, like a dog. But he couldn’t. He shouldn’t let Lance manipulate him the way he was, but Lance was right. Keith closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay….” He whispered, “Let’s go.”

Lance smiled at Keith, cupping his cheeks and pulling him in for a kiss. Passionate and loving, yet brief. It was a promise for more and he stared deeply into Lance’s eyes when he pulled away, letting the adoration fill him up, tinged with pain as he knew that he was about to let Lance lead them both into danger. Lance smiled, reassuring Keith.

Keith gripped Lance’s wrist before he could pull away, squeezing just slightly too tight. “But don’t you dare leave my sight,” he demanded, voice dripping with concern and reluctance.

Lance nodded, “Wouldn’t dream of it,” then they both turned back to the hallway and sprinted toward the stables.

The door wasn’t being guarded like it usually was since all the knights were busy defending the castle. If they locked the entire building down, then they didn’t need guards. Except, the doors didn’t lock from the inside, only the outside. Which meant that once they went out, there was no coming back in. Even the window Lance used to sneak out from his study would be locked down. But Keith didn’t hesitate when he opened that door to the outside, just like Lance didn’t hesitate when he stepped through. They were doing this, hand in hand. The door clicked behind Keith as he let it close, sealing their fate.

Keith glanced around them, assessing their safety level. Fire flared in the distance, lining the trees bordering Altea Castle, trapping them in. Keith could smell the smolder, the ashes and smoke rising into the sky and painting the overhead with smog as rain beat down. Heat radiated across the land, but none of it was from the sun. The castle defenses exploded a small group of Galra, sending fallout into the vicinity. Chunks of castle wall lay strewn across the grassy lawn, crushing some of the flowers. Shouting and clanging rang out as the knights whipped their swords through the air towards the Galra soldiers, slowing them down but not killing them. Corpses littered the entranceway; Altean knights as well as Galra fighters. The warriors drove onward, hoards of them attacking the castle, hoping for a way in. Zarkon was nowhere to be seen, but that didn’t mean he was gone.

Lance was sprinting to the stables, across the grass parallel to the castle, and Keith hurried after him. Paranoid, he checked all around them, begging the Goddess Voltron that nothing would come out and attack Lance. His hand itched at his side, poised and ready to swiftly grab his sword if he needed it at a moments notice.

They came up to the stable, slowing down and quickly yanking the door open. The horses whinnied, spooked by the noise coming from outside. Thace wasn’t around, he was probably out helping the other knights in the fight for their castle. Lance rushed toward his horse, Livia. She didn’t have any of her tack on, but there wasn’t enough time to add it. Lance still grabbed his adventuring bag anyways, strapping it to his waist and letting Livia out of the stall desperately, hoping to hurry. Keith watched him for a moment before doing the same for Fabron. He hadn’t ever ridden a horse without the saddle and reins, but it didn’t seem too difficult. It also didn’t seem too important.

Keith pulled himself up onto his horse, shifting around until he was settled. On his horse, Lance looked across to Keith and nodded. He urged Livia forward and grinned when it worked, his horse moving forward. They trotted out of the barn, hoping not to attract too much attention by the Galra when they made their escape. Luckily, there was no one around.

Before Lance could fully gallop away, Keith hissed over, “Stay close.”

“Do you want to hold my hand too?” Lance asked, mocking.

“I’m serious, Lance. If you try some stunt and get killed by the Galra, I swear to the Goddess Voltron that I will resurrect you just so I can kill you myself,” Keith warned.

Lance just stuck out his tongue and hurried away on his horse, Keith following behind as close as Fabron would allow. Keith knew that Lance was only trying to lighten the mood, something he did often, whether the situation called for it or not. Often, Keith found it to be an endearing defense mechanism. Keith himself wasn’t very good with emotional situations and would sometimes do or say something inappropriate or insensitive, so he understood, but right then, as they were in the middle of a war which they weren’t prepared for, which wasn’t supposed to happen for another fifty years, it wasn’t so endearing. It just worried Keith.

Sprinting away on their horses, they managed to make it to the outskirts of forest bordering the castle without incident. Lance was still leading them toward the Balmera region, hunkering down on his horse as they picked up speed. Dirt kicked up behind them and the hooves echoed through the woods, but no one at the castle noticed over the cannons, explosions and screaming.

Everything was working out alright. Keith had been hesitant to follow Lance but when he thought about it, it was probably safer to have the Prince far away from the castle anyways. It had all gone off without a hitch. They were almost out of the woods – figuratively, not literally – when out of nowhere, an arrow shot through the trees. Keith didn’t even have any time to react to it before it lodged itself into Fabron’s upper leg. Fabron whinnied, a squealing, high-pitched sound. Keith hit the dirt hard as Fabron stumbled over from the pain.

Lance hadn’t realized what was even happening and he rode on, struggling to slow down. Galra warriors spilled out of the woods, headed straight for the Prince. _“Lance!”_ Keith shrieked. The Galra, Keith should have known. They were probably watching Lance and Keith since the castle. Or maybe there were Galra guarding the entire perimeter. Keith pushed himself to his feet, fumbling as he got up. Fabron had landed partially on Keith’s foot and he limped, ignoring the pain in his entire leg as he raced toward Lance. He could hardly hear Lance’s startled yelp over the beating of his own heart. His sword was in his hand in seconds, Keith barely having any time to register that he had pulled it out at all.

Lance flung the reins of Livia around wildly, terrified and disorientated as the Galra closed in on him. Suddenly, the Prince tumbled off his horse entirely, landing on his arm with a grunt. The Galra closed in.

Without a second thought, Keith lashed outward. With his injured leg, desperate panic, and his complete disregard for his own personal safety, Keith had no problem dealing out hits just as quickly as he could take them. Knives swung down on him, tearing into his arms and chest. Swords sharpened until they cut through Keith like butter, spilling his blood onto the dirt at his feet. They may have been fast and skilled, but Keith was even more so. He carved the Galra warriors that surrounded Lance, using his own body to protect the boy when he wasn’t swift enough with his shield. Lance was screaming at Keith, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Keith stabbed out, piercing the neck of a nearby Galra, only to turn around just in time for another soldier to knee him in the gut. Stumbling, Keith regained his balance. It took everything in him not to vomit, but he forced his vision to lock onto the Galra, no matter how dizzy he was. He lunged at the enemy, slicing and slashing at them as they dodged. While the warrior was precise, Keith was animalistic. Keith had fought against many extremely experienced fighters in training and had even battled real-world enemies before, but never had he been so consumed by rage and fear as in that moment. His movements weren’t sloppy, but they weren’t restrained either. Keith gripped the hilt of his sword as tight as he could, pushing himself beyond limits that would have been strenuous even if he weren’t bleeding out.

Galra fell at Keith’s feet as he fought, swirling around Lance and Livia, careful to keep them safe at all sides while they hunkered down by a tree. Keith could only see red, everywhere he looked, his murderous frenzy followed. It wasn’t that he wanted to kill, he just had never felt such a ferocious need to protect someone until that moment. If Keith had had the luxury of time so he could think about it, he may have realized that it really didn’t matter what he was to Lance, – a knight, a friend, a lover – Keith would protect him to his last breath. The promise he had made at the knighting ceremony was more than one of duty.

One Galra remained, still fighting to the death against Keith. Red painted the ground, a pool of blood shed in the battle. A good amount belonged to Keith and it was obvious in the way his vision blurred and his body felt like lead. He pushed on, forcing his sword at the Galra with all the might he could muster. A few good hits had landed on the Galra, but compared to the number that the entire group had inflicted upon Keith, it was a losing battle. Keith lurched around the path, following the Galra’s moves, thrusting his blade out rapidly. Corpses strewn about the trail hindered Keith from properly fighting, but he didn’t slow. Rather, he stepped right onto them, disregarding them altogether.

Without warning, Keith kicked his leg out in a sudden flare of anger. It caught his opponent off guard, forcing them to fall over one of their fallen comrades. Blood splattered over Keith’s legs as the Galra hit the ground. Keith gave them no time to recover, stabbing his sword down into their neck. Normally, Keith would have left it at that, but his adrenaline was through the roof right alongside his fury and he yanked the sword back out, slamming it back down again. The point collided with the Galra’s sternum, chipping the bone. Keith panted, struggling to dislodge the sword again. He brought it down over and over, heaving with the energy it drained from his body. Everything was covered in blood, it covered Keith’s entire front, some of it even getting in Keith’s eye.

Something wrenched on Keith’s shoulder, causing him to stumble back and drop his sword. Keith wheezed as he fell back, exhausted suddenly as his adrenaline rush calmed down. “Keith! Keith, stop, they’re dead!”

As Lance’s voice finally reached Keith’s ears, strapping him back down to reality, Keith whipped around to face him. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?” Keith interrogated, gripping Lance’s wrists tightly as he searched his face.

Lance huffed a short laugh which easily could have been a sob, “I’m fine, but I feel like we’ve had this conversation before. Keith, you’re literally dying this time.” Hands caressed across Keith’s face, smearing the blood and sweat streaked over them. There were tears in Lance’s eyes, although they were blurred through the rain drenching them.

Before Keith could respond, a bush rustled behind them in the distance. The other Galra soldiers must have heard the battle sounds from their posts in the woods and hurried to the fight as backup. Keith’s heart dropped and his instincts kicked in once more. His nails dug deeper into Lance’s arm, he swiped his sword off the ground, and off he ran. Livia was nowhere to be seen, most likely spooked into running away. Fabron lay in the dirt, flailing and whinnying. It hurt Keith to leave him behind, but his priority was getting Lance to safety.

Keith tugged Lance down the trail, racing as fast he could. Lance struggled to keep up for a second, not ready for the sudden movement, but he regained his footing quickly. Ignoring the pain in his entire body, Keith pushed farther along the trail. The path was slicked with rain, making it difficult to keep a footing in some areas and obscuring Keith’s vision. He glanced back at Lance, whose eyes were blown wide with fear as he sprinted.

They weaved and bobbed along their trail, Keith leading them, his shield in one hand and Lance’s hand in the other. Their boots slapped in the puddles, echoing against the thundering overhead. Keith panted, his body feeling as if it weighed more and more each second that passed, but he forced himself to move purely off his adrenaline. Fire filled his lungs like liquid, pleading him to stop and treat his wounds, but there was no time. Lance was in danger, Keith was in danger, Altea was in danger. Keith couldn’t stop, no matter what. He forced his legs faster.

Lance’s hand suddenly slipped through Keith’s hand, sliding right out from between his fingers. Keith’s heart lurched and he slid to a stop, nearly falling in the grass as he stared back at Lance, panicked. He was ready to stab whatever Galra had ripped Lance from his hands, but he found nothing. Lance had slipped in the mud and he kneeled over the ground, heaving with his face to the dirt. Keith hurried back, dropping to his knee in front of Lance and letting his shield lay forgotten beside him.

A sob pierced the loud downpour, causing Keith to panic. He placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Lance lifted his head instantly, shuffling forward to wrap his hands around Keith’s bloodied upper arms. “How…?” Lance hiccupped. “How did this happen…?” His voice was broken, cracking halfway through as more tears streaked his face, washing the dirt away with him. “Everyone – Allura, Hunk, Shiro, Pidge, dad… They’re all trapped in the castle… All the villages will be destroyed…” He stared hopelessly into Keith’s eyes, breaking his heart in the process. “And it’s all my fault! Dad was right! I really am just a failure! All my friends, the entire kingdom, you… I failed everyone…” Keith cupped Lance’s face, wiping the tears off his face desperately, reassuring him however he could. “I left them all to die…” Lance sobbed. He dropped his entire body forward as if it weighed more than he could carry, planting his face into Keith’s bloodied chest and bawling.

Keith held Lance, carding his fingers through the boy’s waterlogged hair as best he could. He leaned closer to press a kiss into Lance’s forehead. “This kingdom needs you,” he whispered into Lance’s hairline, embracing him close. Even with the mud, sweat, tears, rain, and blood soaking their clothes, it was still comforting to some degree. Lance didn’t respond, he just continued to cry. His fingers tightened their hold on Keith’s arms. They stayed there in the dirt, Keith losing his sense of time as he held Lance.

Keith, distracted with the crying of his lover in his arms, almost didn’t notice the heavy footsteps casually strolling up to them from along the path. At the last second though, right before the sword came down on the both of them, Keith managed to roll him and Lance away. The weapon came down, slamming into the dirt where Keith had previously been. Dirt kicked up around him. Unconsciously, Keith pulled Lance closer to his chest and turned to face his assailant. His already weak body sagged at the sight, blood draining from his face faster than it was already. Towering over him, was Zarkon, leader of the Galra.

He was heavily decked out in black armour, spikes protruding from the edges, stabbing upwards into the air. His eyes flickered over Keith briefly, dangerously, but he was mostly focused on Lance. There were no other Galra accompanying him. Keith took it as an omen of Zarkon’s strength, but he was also thankful. Scars littered the man – no, the beast’s face, long forgotten battles forever engraved within his skin. If Keith didn’t know any better, he would have assumed Zarkon was a walking skeleton with how spindly he was. A large sword was embedded into the ground next to Keith, although it was more of a large cleaver when he really looked at it.

Everything was silent for a moment. Zarkon staring at the Prince while Keith and Lance studied him right back. Then, without warning, the sword was removed from the ground in one single swoop. Keith instantly kicked into gear, flinging himself up and dragging Lance with him before the sword could be swung back down upon them. On shaking feet, Keith readied himself, shoving Lance back and behind him while his shield protected them. He swiftly retrieved his sword from its sheath and aimed it at Zarkon. His hands shook and panic coursed through him. He knew there would be no way that he could hold off Zarkon for long, let alone kill him. Lance needed to get out of there.

 _“Lance, go!”_ Keith shouted, pushing Lance with his shoulder blade.

Lance hesitated. “But you–” Zarkon’s sword swung outward, bouncing off of Keith’s shield and forcing the knight to stagger backwards from the impact. His weak legs were giving out on him, he could feel it and Lance could too.

 _“Lance!”_ Keith screamed again, desperate and enraged.

Zarkon was coming towards him, wasting no time. Keith shoved at Lance again. Tears were coming to his eyes as he could practically feel their death coming closer. Zarkon could outrun them easy. No one was going to find them out there, or even know to go looking. Keith couldn’t win against Zarkon, there was no way. His only weak spot was his face and neck, but the only moves Keith could do to even reach his exposed skin were far too complex in his current state. Even if they did manage to get away or defeat Zarkon, Keith was positive that his blood loss would be enough to kill him eventually. He still had open wounds. It was even a wonder he could see straight.

All Keith wished was that Lance, at the very least, remain safe.

To his surprise, Lance pressed a kiss to his cheek and whispered, “I’m sorry,” then, with one last pleading, devastated look, he raced off down the path from the way they had come, leaving Keith behind. Keith had never felt more relieved. His heart ached at Lance’s parting words, hearing them ring through his mind again and again. The broken tone of his voice, the determination behind the words, everything about it gave Keith the emotional strength to push on.

Zarkon brought his sword down again, aiming to crush Keith, but Keith threw himself out of the way right at the last second. He had noticed that Zarkon’s sword tended to get lodged in the ground. It was an advantage to Keith. He leaped forward, slashing his unstable, chipped sword across Zarkon’s armour, aiming for the opening by his face. The sword grazed his plates, dealing no real damage.

The enormous sword was ripped from the ground, tearing up dirt in the process. It was sliced through the air, clipping Keith in the hip when he tried to dodge too late. Keith cried out in pain, faltering in his steps enough for Zarkon to take another swing. Dodging, Keith fell back, hitting the ground and feeling his body scream in agony from his injuries. Zarkon’s sword slashed down, narrowly missing lobbing off his entire leg. Keith crawled backwards through the mud, slipping and falling. His hand gripped tighter on the hilt of his sword. There wasn’t a chance for Keith to get up, the unrelenting weapon continuously swiping out at him.

Keith’s hand connected with a puddle, spraying all the way up his arm and pulling him down. His elbow broke the fall and he gasped for air at the sudden movement. He couldn’t move his arm fast enough to pull himself away from the incoming blow. Instinctively, Keith flattened his back into the ground, using his shield to protect him. Zarkon’s weapon embedded itself into the defence, sticking in it as with the dirt. Zarkon ripped it back, taking Keith’s entire shield with him and leaving the boy defenseless.

As quickly as he could, Keith pushed himself away from Zarkon and onto his feet while Zarkon crashed his blade into the dirt, snapping Keith’s safeguard into two pieces entirely. Keith felt his entire body go cold and a lump rose in his throat. He tripped back, sword in hand. His chest pitched, lurching as his injuries worsened. Keith fell to one knee, attempting to force himself up but failing. Zarkon advanced on him, raising his sword up. A chilling panic spread through Keith’s body as he realized what was about to happen. His mind was working slower, but he still knew this would be it. Images of his family flashed before his mind; mother, father, Acxa, Shiro, Ezor, Zethrid, Narti, Pidge, Hunk, Princess Allura. Lance. At the very least, Keith had done what he was meant to and saved Lance to his dying breath.

“Keith!” a voice suddenly shouted from down the path. Keith was pulled out of his hazy thoughts enough to turn around. Even Zarkon paused. Lance was sprinting through the rain and mud, a horrified expression distorting his features. Keith couldn’t help but think what he would give to never have to see Lance make that face again. There was something in his hand, but between Keith’s failing consciousness and the rain, he couldn’t make out what. A sound behind him pulled him back. The sword was raised above Keith once again.

Lance shrieked, a visceral noise, desperate and broken, _“NO!”_ The draw of a string, a twanging noise.

Abruptly, Zarkon dropped his sword, splattering Keith with more dirt as it landed next to him. Keith stared at it, his vision fading in and out. Every part of him felt heavy and weighed down. It was a struggle just to keep his eyelids open. Somewhere in the distance, Keith could see Lance rushing up to Zarkon with a bow at his side and a sword in his grip. Keith reached his hand out, intending to call to him, to tell him to run, get away. But nothing escaped his lips except a withered groan. Everything was ringing in Keith’s ears, worsening the already terrible headache he was sporting. He could barely make out the silhouette of Lance stabbing Zarkon with the sword. Keith could only hope he was dead.

All strength left him just as his blood had. Keith fell backwards, losing his sword somewhere in the mud and letting his eyes fall shut. He was so tired. When was the last time he had felt so tired? He wasn’t sure. Everything about his life just seemed like a blur at that point. His breathing became shallow and his body numbed. Keith couldn’t feel his fingers or toes anymore, the feeling spreading along his legs and arms. It didn’t hurt, but it didn’t feel exactly pleasant either. For the life of him, Keith wouldn’t have been able to move his body no matter what. The rain fell over him, cleansing him and drowning him all at once. All he could think about was Lance, but even that was hazy. Keith drew in a breath, pain radiating through his lungs as he did.

There was yelling from somewhere along the trail, but Keith wasn’t paying attention. “No! No, no, no, no!” A sudden force gripped his body, forcing him up. Keith groaned. Every part of him was searing with fire but he couldn’t stop it if he wanted to. He had no strength to. Instead, he allowed the strong arms to wrap around him, embracing him and pulling him tight against a warm body. “Keith! Come on, man, you _can’t_ do this. You’ll be fine, and you’ll tell me I’m an idiot. And then we’ll go on some crazy adventure where you’ll show me something magical, quote Shakespeare, and kiss me. It’ll be okay!” Lance’s voice broke through the miasma of Keith’s mind. Distraught and damaged in his tone, rambling but not even Lance himself believed what he was saying.

“Long ways from my heart…I’m not…” Keith muttered, the energy draining from him quicker with every passing second.

“You’re not going to die,” Lance finished the rest for him. It sounded like he was begging though.

Keith forced his eyes open, even through the pain and the tremendous weight against them. He blearily stared into Lance’s tearful eyes. Lance stared down at him, a glint of hope in his stare. Keith felt horrible for being the one who had to break the hope, but there was nothing to be done. He forced his lips to part and with every last bit of breath he held, he whispered in a wrecked and shattered voice, “It was an honour… to protect you...” The effort of the action ripped Keith apart and he let himself slump into Lance. He had enough time to see the expression on Lance’s face before his eyes closed and his conscious wavered. Somewhere above him, Lance was screaming something, but his ears could barely pick it up, like Lance was far away and Keith was underwater, lost to the waves which pulled him deeper.

And Keith, who was fearless, who’d never failed to protect the ones he loved, took one final agonizingly slow breath, and he died.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday, Keith!!
> 
> Can you believe the timing? I didn't mean to upload THIS chapter, of all chapters, on Keith's birthday. Ooooooh man, I love Keith so much, my son.


	15. By the Grace of the Goddess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do he live??

Lance stared down at Keith’s limp body in his arms. Everything felt cold and his heart was beating out of his chest. He couldn’t breathe. Keith’s skin felt so cold against Lance’s, unfunctional veins mixed with the freezing rain. He was heavy in Lance’s grip, like a doll. Lance was screaming. He could barely register that it was himself at first, but he was screeching profanities and pleas over Keith, begging something to save him. Zarkon was dead, Lance had made sure of that, but now so was Keith, pale and lifeless in Lance’s embrace.

There was no way this could have happened. Lance had told Keith he wasn’t immortal, that he couldn’t just throw himself into battles, he had told him that, yet he hadn’t ever really believed it himself. Something about the idea of Keith dying was just so abstract and far out there that Lance hadn’t ever registered it as an actual possibility. Yet, there he was, holding Keith’s corpse in his hands. And he screamed.

His lungs ran out of air from the screaming. Lance was forced to stop. He heaved, blinded by the refusal to believe that Keith was dead as well as his tears. The air smelled thick with blood and rain, digging into Lance’s mind and drilling a headache into his brain. He had to do something. First, he forced himself to breath, it was frantic and he was hyperventilating, but it was better than before. Everything moved too fast and too slow at the same time.

Lance tried to think of something he could do, anything at all, but he kept coming up blank. All his thoughts shot back to Keith like magnets being pulled away through force. Horse races with Keith, his smile, the wind in his hair, the reddening of his cheeks as the wind whipped over him. Meeting Keith’s family, the way they hung all over him, so excited, the nostalgic happiness in Keith’s eyes as they surrounded him. Keith’s logic that made no sense and every bit of sense all at once. Keith’s crazy knowledge of things Lance would have thought unimportant before. Keith’s whimsical nature hidden far underneath his hard exterior. Keith’s shitty sense of humour. Keith’s laugh. Keith’s lips against Lance’s own. Everything flooded Lance’s mind all at once.

The one time when Lance had asked why Keith wore his red tunic all the time and had gotten an answer he hadn’t wanted. It filled his mind at that moment, crystal clear as he stared down at Keith’s slack expression.

 

_“It hides my blood if I get injured.”_

 

Lance ran a hand along Keith’s stomach, over his wounds and through his blood. Keith had been right; it did hide his blood quite well. Lance felt sick.

The castle would still be on lockdown, surrounded by Galra, all fighting. They wouldn’t let Lance in. Even then, would the medics even help save Keith? Could they help Keith at all? Was he too far gone…? Lance could hurry to the nearest village, but even that was too far, he’d never make it, and definitely not with Keith’s deadweight. Then what could they do? Nothing. There was nothing. Even if Lance made it anywhere with Keith’s body, there was nothing any of them could do.

Lance’s tears were renewed, he leaned over Keith’s body farther, curling in on himself and his lover. How could it have come to this? If Lance had just gone to the safe room with Keith, if Lance had just stopped trying to be the hero and listened for once, none of this would have happened. Keith had been hesitant to even go. The only reason he had was because Lance had manipulated him. Keith would be alive if it weren’t for Lance, on every level. Guilt and grief overtook Lance’s body, causing him to crush Keith in his desperate embrace.

“No, no… This can’t…” Awareness began seeping into Lance’s mind as he fully realized what was happening.

What was Lance supposed to say when he got back to the castle? How was he supposed to look Shiro in the eye and tell him that his brother was dead because of Lance? How could he tell Pidge that she had helped him save Keith from execution, only for Lance to shove him right into his own death? When he next visited Marmora with a different knight, or no knight at all, was Lance expected to meet Acxa’s gaze and ask her if she wished for Keith to be buried next to their parents? Would he tell Ezor, Narti, and Zethrid that they better hold on tight to their Keith stories because that was all they had left? Could he hold Sanvi as she cried when Lance told her that Keith broke his promise, he wouldn’t be visiting again soon, that Lance couldn’t protect him?

 _“Fuck!_ Oh my goddess, _please! Please, please!_ Please no… _No, no, no…”_ He didn’t even know what he was saying, or who he was saying it to, but he kept speaking, unable to stop. At some point, he just began pleading and praying to the Goddess Voltron, imploring her to help Keith, but he knew it wouldn’t work.

A thought suddenly occurred to Lance, blinking through the haze, a completely ridiculous idea. The Goddess’s Dragon, Voltra. Lance hadn’t even believed in the dragon until the moment he had seen it with his own eyes. The legend of the Goddess’s Grace could be true. It was just a myth, an ancient song passed down from generation to generation in the form of a children’s song, there was no way it could work. But Lance was desperate and the situation was dire. Maybe the song really could save Keith just like it was rumoured.

There were obstacles though. It had to be in the presence of Voltra but the Daibazaal Chasm wasn’t anywhere close to where Lance was. And even if it were a couple feet away, there was no guarantee Voltra would show up. Did Lance even remember the words to the song?

Lance struggled to think. Could he summon Voltra? Was there a way to do that? As if that idea wasn’t crazy enough, Lance suddenly had another idea. Voltra’s scale was still in his pocket. Lance had considered taking it out of his adventure pack when he had gotten to the castle, but by some miracle of the Goddess, he hadn’t. It was still in his bag.

Gently placing Keith onto the ground, Lance tried his best not to jostle the poor boy too much. He took the time to shift some hair out of Keith’s face and smile down at him. “It’s going to be okay, Keith,” he whispered. Then he turned back to the bag on his waist and opened it. Sure enough, undamaged, was the glimmering blue scale of Voltra, still just as shiny as the day Keith had given it to him. Lance forced his tears back at the sight of it, yet still pushed every ounce of hope and willpower into the scale.

There weren’t specific instructions on how this was supposed to work. It just had to be in front of Voltra. A scale was part of Voltra, so that counted, didn’t it? He cautiously placed the scale on Keith’s chest, shifting his limp arms to cup the blue scale against his body. Then he sat cross-legged in the mud, staring hard between the scale and Keith.

Lance cleared his throat, thinking back on the song he had learned so many years ago. _“Day to night, dark to light, fall the sands of time. Let the years like the gears of a clock unwind.”_ Lance’s voice was marred, scratched and hacked to death by his crying and screaming. He continued anyways. _“In your mind, walk through time back to better days. Memories, like a dream, wash tears away.”_ The words were coming back to him slowly, adding a haunting tone to his song. Tears were still trickling down Lance’s face as he stared at Keith’s body, but he didn’t stop singing, even as nothing happened. _“Like a star in the sky, darkness can’t reach you. Light the night, joy is light ‘til the new dawn.”_ He fumbled at the end of the line, trying to quickly recall the next set of lyrics. _“Cast away your old face, let go your spite. With this mask, I’ll ask to borrow your light…”_

Nothing happened. Lance sat there in the mud and in the rain, staring at the dead body of Keith with a scale in his hands for a solid minute. And nothing happened. Lance could feel a new round of tears stinging his eyes. Had he messed up the song? Were those not the lyrics? Maybe he had sung it perfectly and the version that had been passed down was the thing that was wrong? Did this not count as Voltra? Did he really have to sing the song in front of Voltra with Keith’s body? Or maybe, Lance’s worst fear, the myth was just that; a myth.

Keith wouldn’t wake up again, no matter what Lance did.

A sob escaped Lance’s lips as he fell forward against his own legs. Before he could let himself plummet into hopelessness, a blinding light abruptly alerted his attention away from the ground. Lance quickly glanced up at Keith. The shard of Voltra was still clasped in his hands tightly, only now it was glowing a bright, purple light. The light shot upwards into the sky, reaching far above the clouds. At first, it was only emitting from the scale, but slowly it spread to Keith’s hands, climbing up his arms and over his chest.

Lance scrambled over to Keith, watching as the light encased his face until every part of Keith was just a solid, magenta glow. He watched for a moment, wondering what was happening. Panic etched at his thoughts, bothered that he couldn’t see his lover’s face, but it seemed like the healing had begun, Keith was being resurrected.

This was the Goddess’s Grace.

Relief washed over Lance like a wave from the ocean. He could suddenly breathe again, his chest inhaling fresh, rain-riddled air like a drowning man, then pushing it back out. Lance was heaving, but quickly it dissolved into laughter. It wasn’t jovial laughter. It was coated with sadness, happiness, liberation, disbelief, and love. So much love.

He reached a cautious hand out to touch Keith’s light encasement. Although he wasn’t sure what he was expecting, it certainly wasn’t that. Everything, he could feel everything, all of Keith’s wounds, how they stung and radiated painful heat across his body. Where Keith’s wounds were, Lance could feel them on his own body. He quickly retracted his hand, disturbed.

Lance watched the shimmering shield around Keith, hoping he was alright. It was still raining, but Lance didn’t care. All he did was sit in the rain and wait for Keith to heal. It was taking a long time, but eventually Lance began to zone out and think about stupid conversations he had had with Keith. Conversations that he dreamed he could one day have again.

Their love was still young and riddled with trials, but Lance was more than willing to put in the effort and time to create something beautiful with Keith. Even if they were new to their relationship, Lance could feel that there was a spark there. It could grow. Lance could see himself loving Keith someday. Lance loved people easily and without question, but this was different, this was something that Lance couldn’t let go of, and if he had to resurrect his knight in shining armour to do it, then so be it.

Every now and again, Lance would reach over and touch the cover wrapped around Keith, checking to see if his wounds were any better. And they were. Slowly but surely, Keith’s wounds were healing, and it gave Lance reassurance, even if it did still hurt to touch.

At one point, it had stopped raining and the sun had started its ascent into the sky for a new day. It hadn’t really occurred to Lance just how long he had been missing from the castle, drenched in blood, sweat, mud, rain, and tears in a forest of corpses. He wondered if the Galra threat had been slaved off. Could he return to the castle? Everyone was probably worried sick about him; his father, Allura, Hunk. And what about Keith? He was also missing in the eyes of the castle residents. No one was going to be happy that Keith needed the Goddess’s Grace to begin with, but at the very least, Keith would survive.

True to his word, Lance had protected Keith.

Lance made an executive decision at that moment. He shifted over until he was kneeling next to Keith. Positioning one arm underneath his best estimate of where Keith’s knees would be and the other arm around the back of his shoulders, Lance lifted Keith from the ground. Scrapes and scratches seared into his skin beneath his clothes, large and gaping. The pain radiated as he stepped over Keith’s forgotten sword and around puddles, but Lance didn’t pay it any mind. A drowsy, lead feeling weighed him down and everything tasted coppery, still he didn’t stop.

He knew that they were all just projections from Keith’s own body and he wasn’t in any real danger, yet that didn’t do anything to dwindle the pain. Not just physical either. The knowledge that Keith had had to take those hits for Lance and suffer through that in his final moments was pressing Lance’s chest down with guilt, constricting his breathing. That also could have been the blood loss that Keith had suffered taking its toll on Lance too though.

It was uncomfortable, it was painful, it was weighing him down, it was difficult to walk in the mud, but none of that changed Lance’s mind. Not once did he complain, not even in the safe confines of his own mind. He was more than grateful that Keith even had a chance at being saved. That was enough. Ignoring the aching as best as he could, Lance slowly made his way down the trail toward the castle with Keith in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This tale ain't over yet, folks, but I do hope you're enjoying it! Chat me up in the comments about whatever your thoughts are, I do love hearing from y'all.


	16. Time Heals All Wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I brought Acxa back because I love her.

The shell remained over Keith, protecting him from the outside world as his wounds healed. Lance understood that it was necessary for the healing process to take place at all, but after a few days, all Lance wanted was to see Keith. He knew he wasn’t the only one who felt that way too.

Glancing up from where he was staring intently at Keith’s pod, he could see Pidge curled up in the corner of the bed which they had placed Keith on. Pidge had been there since the battle had ended and she had time to really hear Lance’s entire story about what had happened in the woods. Of course, everyone was distraught, but Shiro still had to attend to his soldiers, especially after losing so many to Zarkon’s army. If Shiro didn’t have those duties, Lance was sure he would be right there next to Pidge, worrying over Keith. Shiro dropped by often though. So did Hunk and Allura. They were both Keith’s friends and were just as worried about him.

Technically, Pidge had many things of her own to do, but she claimed that she was doing them while waiting on Keith. She had a ton of sketches surrounding her, all of different knives that Lance didn’t recognize. Every time she would finish one, she would frown at it for a minute, and start over, making small adjustments. Lance hadn’t known Pidge for very long, but with the way that Keith would talk about her, he sometimes felt like he had. Still, it didn’t take a genius to see that she was exhausted and grieving. Keith wasn’t dead, but it felt like he was. Dark circles under her glazed eyes and the droopy way she moved, as if she barely had any energy to hold herself up, were all amplified by the angered way she snapped at anyone who tried to urge her away from Keith’s side.

Lance could relate though, he hadn’t let anyone pull him away from Keith for a single second, not Allura, not Hunk, and not even King Alfor.

Pidge grunted softly to herself and expertly flipped her pencil around to erase a section of her latest drawing. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration and she leaned closer to the notepad on her knees. There seemed to be a permanent frown etched on her face.

“What’re you drawing?” Lance murmured from his chair at Keith’s bedside.

Pidge looked up, meeting his eye. She looked even more tired when it was apparent that she was trying to focus on him. She glanced back to her drawing for a second, silent. Then, she lifted it and turned it to face Lance. It was a long, peak-like blade, the same one she had been drawing for the past couple hours. “Feathered edge blade,” she answered quietly, returning the pad to her lap so she could continue drawing.

Lance nodded mutely. He stared for a moment at the dust fluttering through the air, outlined by the afternoon light from the window. The entire room just felt stuffy and closed in, but maybe that was just Lance’s chest constricting every time his hand found itself sliding across the shelf encasing Keith, translating Keith’s pain to Lance’s own body. He kept expecting it to be gone, but it was always there. It was much better than it had been when Lance had carried Keith to the castle, but any pain was bad pain. Lance just wanted Keith to be safe.

“Why do you keep doing that?” Pidge’s small voice questioned. She stared at Lance over the top of her glasses as her face was still toward her drawing.

Staring back at her, Lance continued to rest his hand on the pod. “What?” he dumbly asked.

She pointed with the end of her pencil at Lance’s hand. “You keep touching Keith.” Even though the shell itself wasn’t Keith, that was how Pidge had been referring to it, as though it was part of Keith now.

Lance let his eyes fall back down, gently stroking his hand along, feeling the aches and stings throughout his arms and legs, all over his chest. He felt a little bit dizzy when he kept his hand on it for too long, but it didn’t stop him. “I don’t know…” he muttered. “Maybe Keith knows I’m here…”

“Doesn’t that hurt though?”

Lance shrugged, “It’s my fault anyways, these were supposed to be my injuries. He shouldn’t have to suffer alone, I guess…”

Pidge shuffled around across from Lance, setting her notepad down amongst her other papers. Her legs crossed beneath her as she settled in to give Lance her full focus. “But emotionally, doesn’t that hurt?” She placed a shaky hand on Keith’s shell, flinching back but steeling herself before placing it back down. “I’ve patched Keith back up countless times, but this is different. He’s not grumbling about the bandages and complaining about the antiseptics and rolling his eyes when I tell him he’s fucking stupid. He’s just… there… And me, I’m just here too, doing nothing.” Her eyes closed for a second and she swallowed heavily. “It just feels wrong…” she spat.

Lance didn’t know what to say, just listening to Pidge vent. He wasn’t sure there was anything he could say. “He’ll be okay,” Lance offered. “Keith is strong and he’ll bounce right back. He always does.” Lance nodded along as he spoke, almost like he was trying to reassure himself too, and to an extent, he was.

“So that he can go right back to getting himself killed again,” she hissed, her brows furrowing further. “Why is appointed knight even a career? How is it an honour?! He’s a glorified human shield!” Pidge grew angrier as she glared down at Keith’s pod. Her hand curled into a fist against Keith’s pod.

“Pidge…”

“I’m sorry…” Pidge quickly interrupted, calming herself and letting her hand crumple, limp and powerless.

Lance leaned closer toward the bed so he could catch Pidge’s attention. “No, no, it’s okay, I understand,” he assured. “I really am sorry, Pidge. To you, to Keith, and to everyone Keith knows. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Pidge sighed, “I know… I just… Keith is such an idiot…”

Lance breathed out a fond laugh. “Yeah… But he’s a dedicated idiot… And you can say what you want, Pidge, but we all know the truth; you love Keith,” he commented, smiling at Pidge.

“Love him? Gross, no,” Pidge grumbled. “I don’t even like him…” her voice cracked. “I just tolerate the kid…” Lance could see a tear roll down her cheek as she mumbled in her broken voice. Her hand was still on his pod.

“He loves you too,” Lance continued, giggling as she wiped her tear away with the sleeve of her heavy, green coat.

Pidge scoffed, almost sounding like a sob, “I know. He brings me gadgets whenever I ask him, even when it’s really inconvenient for him. And he checks on me before he goes to bed when he knows I have a big project because he knows I forget to sleep sometimes… And when we have time, he takes me hunting for cryptids… What a nerd… He thinks he’s such a badass but he’s really mushy…” When she pulled her hand away from her face there was a red mark blooming where she had scrubbed at the evidence of her emotions.

Lance listened intently to everything Pidge said, vividly imagining Keith grumbling as he hunted down gadgets, or bringing Pidge food at night, or searching for glowing rabbits in the woods with Pidge. It made him smile, feeling lighter and happier. Keith would be alright. “Right? Did you know he quotes Shakespeare sometimes?”

Bursting into sudden laughter, Pidge tilted back against the wall, a lot brighter than she had been a moment ago, but still tearstained. “Does he really?” she grinned, reigning herself in.

“Oh yeah. Romeo and Juliet, too,” Lance snickered, thinking back to when they had been on the roof. How stupid they had both been, wanting to be with the other, but being too afraid to ruin everything. It was times like this, sitting next to his boyfriend’s healing corpse, that Lance fully realized how much of a mistake it was to hold feelings in and to never say the things that he wanted to. All the regret that Lance didn’t want to have. By some miracle, Lance was getting a second chance – everyone was – to tell Keith all the things he might not have before.

Across from him, Pidge guffawed, “I have to tease him about that when he wakes up,” she shook her head. “You probably like it though,” she scrunched up her nose at Lance, whose face bloomed red in response.

“No! Maybe… Whatever! It’s hot! He’s hot! I don’t need to… explain myself...” Lance stuttered, staring at anything but Pidge.

She just laughed again, causing Lance’s face to turn an even deeper shade of red. “He talks about you so much that I already knew you’d say that.”

Lance cleared his throat awkwardly, “He, uh, he talks about me?”

Pidge nodded, “He talks about you like you put the stars in the sky just for him and he’s pissed about it. It’s kind of cute, especially when I tease him about it and his face gets all red.”

Lance instantly looked to the shell that Keith was in, eyes wide. A high-pitched squeal left him, turning quickly into a whine, “Keith!” He pressed his forehead to roughly where Keith’s stomach would be. “You bleeding heart of my heart, you giant softie, come back…” he mumbled.

Pidge chuckled above him, watching his theatrics. “Keith is right, you are a drama queen.”

Glancing up from where his head rested, Lance glared, although it held no real heat. “I just really care about my Mullet Boy,” he mumbled, pouting.

Her gaze suddenly got a little bit more intense as she stared into Lance’s eyes. “He really cares about you too,” she replied softly. “Please, protect him like he protects you.”

Lance sat up then, properly facing Pidge. He reached his hand over to grab Pidge’s fingers tightly, still letting their flesh connect with Keith’s pod so they could feel the pain he did. He squeezed, looking her dead in the eye when he answered, “It’d be an honour to.”

Pidge squeezed his hand back and smiled, satisfied with his answer.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened. Shiro stepped inside, drawing Lance and Pidge’s attention away from their previous conversation. He stared at them for a moment before speaking, “The generals from each of the villages are here, the last one just arrived.”

Pidge sat up, addressing Shiro with full seriousness, “Are the villages alright? They weren’t destroyed, were they?”

Lance’s mind recalled all the people he had met through his years of travel; how happy they always were to see him. It was bad enough what had happened in Central Altea, Lance couldn’t imagine any of the villages being completely demolished too. He glanced at Keith’s pod. Memories of Lance guilt-tripping Keith with the safety of his village rushed back to him. He felt sick.

“No, they weren’t. In fact, they all claim they saw a purple light in the sky from somewhere in the forest and that was the only reason that they knew Zarkon was attacking in the first place. They wouldn’t have even noticed if they weren’t investigating the light,” Shiro chuckled, somewhat confused by what he was saying.

Lance’s eyes widened. “That was me!” he abruptly shouted, startling Pidge.

“What?” she furrowed her eyebrows.

“That light was the Goddess’s Grace!” Lance clarified, awestruck in the face of what he had done. “Shiro, did I save everyone?” he quietly asked.

Still stunned, Shiro replied, “Yeah, I guess you did.” He offered Lance a smile, to which Lance beamed right back.

“You hear that, Keith?” Lance softly asked, leaning closer to Keith’s magenta pod. “We did alert the villages, I told you I had it under control!”

“Keep in mind that he died,” Pidge added from the side of the bed, unimpressed.

 _“Briefly!”_ Lance reiterated.

Before Shiro or Pidge could say anything more, the door slammed open again and a woman in full armour pushed into the room. She had short, black hair cropped at an angle around her neck with purple sections. She looked as though she was ready to murder someone and Lance was positive that he was that someone. Acxa. Without greeting any of them, she stomped over to the bed and stopped right next to the healing pod. Lance leaned back, offering her room to see her brother while also attempting to give his face as much distance from her fist as possible.

“What did you do?!” she angrily hissed.

Lance felt his soul leave his body at her tone. He thought Keith was pretty scary but Acxa was an entirely different breed of fear. Shiro wasn’t like that. It must be from the mother’s side.

Before Lance could even formulate a way to explain exactly how he had gotten Keith killed in a way that didn’t make it sound so bad, Acxa was already speaking again. “I get here and the first thing I’m told is that you died. I can’t fucking believe this,” she muttered. Lance suddenly realized that she was speaking directly to Keith. She placed her hand on the pod, her face growing darker as she did. “You’re actually an idiot.”

“That’s what I said,” Pidge mumbled, barely audible.

Acxa turned to Lance then. At that point, Lance was sure he was going to need a healing pod too. Instead of being hit though, a hand landed on his shoulder, firm and strong in its hold, as if it were preventing Lance from escaping. “I understand you resurrected him,” she said, her tone hard.

Lance dared to meet her eye, nodding as he did. Her gaze was terrifying, but she looked so much like Keith that Lance couldn’t bring himself to look away. “Yeah…” he answered.

“Thank you for protecting my brother,” she pressed on Lance’s shoulder as she spoke. “He would’ve died anyways, he’s selfless and self-deprecating enough. But you brought him back. I was wrong about you.” Her gaze travelled back to Keith’s pod but her hand didn’t let up.

Lance didn’t know what to say. He just sat there, staring between Acxa and Keith, unsure of what to say or do. Usually, Lance knew exactly what to say and do, even if it was the wrong thing, but here, he was lost.

“Acxa, you’re scaring him,” Shiro interjected from the doorway.

Acxa quickly glanced to Shiro before turning to Lance again. She removed her hand, nodding to Lance. For a moment, Lance thought he was in the clear, when suddenly, Acxa stared at him again, harder this time. Her eyes narrowed. This time speaking to Pidge, she said, “Has this one given you that core yet? Yorak mentioned it in a letter.”

Pidge shot up straight, her eyes ablaze with the reminder. “No! He hasn’t!” she shouted, unable to reign in her excitement, bordering on mania. “And I will rip it from his cold, dead hands if I must!”

Lance gawked at Pidge, “What happened to the bonding moment we just had?! Where did the trust go?!”

“What bonding moment?! All you did was admit that you think Keith is hot!” Pidge yelled.

Acxa looked even more unimpressed – if that was possible – from where she stood, glaring down at Lance. “Pidge! How dare you?! I said more than that!” Lance squawked, desperately trying to regain some semblance of honour in the eyes of Keith’s siblings.

Pidge chortled, lowering her voice into something suggestive, “Oh, yeah, you _definitely_ said more than that, buddy.”

At that, even Shiro’s face dropped from kind to intimidating, but it was nothing like Acxa, who loomed over Lance with a threatening darkness which radiated out of her. Lance frantically glared at Pidge, “I did not! Pidge!”

Acxa looked about ready to deck Lance. Pidge shrugged, staring lazily at Lance. “Maybe if I had a core…”

“Keith was right, you’re a demon in disguise, I see that now,” Lance hissed.

A hand gripped the front of Lance’s shirt, dragging him around to face Acxa again. “You better not be taking advantage of Yorak,” she sneered. Lance whimpered.

Pidge waved her hands in front of her, laughing as she addressed Acxa. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Acxa glanced at Pidge out of the corner of her eye, attempting to judge how sincere she was being. “He’s been laying on Yorak’s pod for days because he doesn’t want him to suffer alone. He didn’t actually say anything _immoral_ ,” Pidge emphasized.

Acxa glanced back to Lance, glaring at him one last time before letting his collar go. Without another word, she turned and left the room, but not before she patted Shiro’s upper arm. Lance watched her leave, feeling partially like he had narrowly escaped being eaten alive by a wolf and partially like he had received a blessing from Keith’s sister, in a way…

He glanced at Shiro, who was smiling at him with a tired look in his eyes. Turning to Pidge, he saw the softness on her face as she studied the magenta pod Keith was encased in. And somehow, Lance felt like everything would be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah my buds and pals, I'm in a rut, so to speak. Everything I write just feels so grade two reading level and it's throwing back my productivity. I can't feel proud of anything I write, not even this, and I feel so bad! You - reading this story now - deserve the best story that I can produce, I owe that to you as a reader, and this just doesn't feel like that. I'm so sorry, please bear with me.


	17. Free Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, would you look at that! It's the end! Somewhat tragic that this journey is at its close now though, I'll miss it.

Keith opened his eyes suddenly, panicked and confused. His heart was pounding and the room was spinning. He sucked in a breath and calmed himself down as quickly as he could, his chest gasping. There was no rain. There was no dirt, no shouting, no Zarkon, no Lance. He wasn’t outside anymore. Rather, he was in a small room, laying on a bed next to a fireplace. As he stared around the empty room, he noticed a window. Outside, instead of heavy ash dropping from the sky as explosions were set off, there was only light.

Keith shifted to sit up, preparing against the pain, only to find that his body was completely free of injury. He stared down at his bloodied tunic littered with holes and stained with mud. It was entirely dry though, not a hint of rain anywhere. Pulling the collar back to inspect his chest, Keith found that his body underneath was free of wounds. There were a few light scars which lined up perfectly to the tears in his clothes, but that was it.

A glimmer caught Keith’s eye and he glanced over from where he sat. At the end of the bed was a shining stone, blue in colour. Where had Keith seen that before? As he picked it up, running it through his hands and feeling the smoothness, he realized it was the scale of Voltra that he had given to Lance. Speaking of Lance, where was he? Was he okay? He had to be, right? The more Keith thought about it, the more memories flooded back to him, and the more worried he became.

There was a slight twitch in his muscles as he stood up, an ache to stretch and move. Keith reached his arms up as far as they would go, wiggling his fingers a little bit before relaxing with a sigh. The room didn’t hold any other clothes so Keith decided that his tunic, although torn to bits, wasn’t that bad and he could probably wear it until he found his own room once again. He exited the room into the hallway.

No one was in the hallway, but luckily, no one had to be; Keith could tell exactly where he was in an instant. It was one of the castle infirmary rooms. The way Keith was feeling during the battle with Zarkon, he was sure that he needed a hospital afterwards.

Usually, the castle was filled with people who were just aimlessly wandering the halls without any real direction. For it to be so deadly silent was strange. It wasn’t weird, just strange. There was soft morning light streaming in through the stained-glass windows in the hall, casting colourful projections over Keith as he walked by. Occasionally, a bird or two would flutter by the window and Keith would be able to hear its song before it flew away into the vibrant, blue sky. The castle was warmer today. Or maybe Keith had just gotten used to the cold of the rain when he had been outside and it seemed warmer in comparison. Whatever the reason, it was nice. Keith smiled to himself. The only thing that was really out of place was Keith himself.

Bits of crusted mud crumbled off his tunic and scattered the floor when he walked and his boots left bloody imprints on the tiles, but Keith didn’t let himself pay it any attention.

As Keith rounded the corner, he saw the front of entrance of the castle wide open. Hoards of people, castle staff to knights, all were helping to carry various things in and out of the building. That was where everyone was then. He had wondered. Keith passed by a couple of them, jogging down the stairs until he was on the front lawn. From there, Keith could see the damage to the castle. Chunks of the castle walls were in pieces on the trail and some areas of dirt had been entirely removed through the use of explosives. It appeared like they were in the process of fixing the castle and disposing of the ruined pieces, but it was still a long way from being repaired.

“Keith!” someone suddenly shouted his name.

Keith spun around from where he was inspecting the hole in the side of the castle to meet the person. Bounding up to him, were Lance, Shiro and Pidge, followed closely by Hunk and Allura.

Pidge reached him first, flinging herself at him and wrapping him up in a rough hug. He momentarily lost his breath at her strength, but quickly regained it, hugging her back. “I know I say it a lot,” Pidge grimaced as she pulled away, “but this time I mean it when I say that you look like shit.” She wiped her hand against her pants, getting rid of the dirt she had gotten from Keith’s tunic.

Shiro yanked him into a hug right after, ignoring the mud and blood altogether. “It’s good to see you again,” he laughed. Then he pushed Keith out at arms length. He frowned, “Prince Lance wasn’t kidding when he said the Galra did a number on you.”

“I wasn’t expecting it to be that bad…” Hunk winced, looking over Keith’s torn tunic. “I’ll make you some recovery soup later, buddy!” he nodded determinedly and Keith couldn’t hold back his smile of gratitude.

“Oh, Keith, I’m so sorry,” Allura stared sympathetically into Keith’s eyes, then turned and hit her brother in the arm. “Look what you did! And you could have died too!”

“Too?” Keith squinted, confused.

“Yeah, you died,” Pidge filled him in, as casually as if she were speaking of the weather.

Lance squawked, “I brought you back! I used the Goddess’s Grace, which, if I’m being honest, was a little bit trippy. I had to sing a song to a dragon scale…” He stared off into the distance as if remembering the event. “But, you saved my life and then I saved your life. True relationship goals right there,” Lance smiled and nodded.

“Keith is literally a zombie,” Hunk pointed out.

“He was a zombie before,” Shiro added.

Keith glared at his brother.

Pidge suddenly snorted and gestured for Lance to lean closer. He did, offering his ear for her to whisper. She smirked as she muttered something into his ear. Lance suddenly flung himself backwards and away from Pidge. _“It’s not necrophilia, what the fuck!”_ he screeched.

“Pidge!” Shiro reprimanded.

“Pidge, no!” Keith laughed, reaching out to grab Lance’s hand and reel him in from where he was having a dramatic heart attack with Hunk and Allura laughing at him.

“Alright, alright, fine! Necromancy, then,” Pidge shrugged.

Hunk gasped, “Lance is a necromancer!”

Allura was still giggling, mostly just because of the interactions between them all.

“Babe, they’re bullying me, do something,” Lance pouted at Keith.

Keith sighed, “But Lance, I have no energy. I’m already dead on my feet.”

Everyone started tittering except for Lance who just stared at him, unimpressed. “You’re dead to me,” he finally responded, unable to keep from laughing that time.

They all chatted a bit more about the last couple of days until finally, Pidge reminded everyone that Keith looked like death itself and should probably go clean himself up. Keith could tell that it was her way of telling him that she had a hard time seeing him in that state and knowing that that was what he had looked like when he had died. Everyone else felt the same way too, Keith could see it in the lingering glances everyone cast him, even when the conversation was directed somewhere else entirely. Especially Lance, who could hardly look at Keith in the eye. Keith had a feeling that he was blaming himself since Lance tended to do that, but there was time to set that straight. There was time for a lot of things.

Keith made his way to his room, content with everything. He changed out of his tunic and laid it neatly on his bed. If he was being honest, he was a little bit distraught that it was destroyed. He loved that thing. He could have a new one made, but it wouldn’t be the same. His weapon straps and sheaths would need to be replaced. Keith had watched his shield being snapped in half, so that was another thing he’d need. Luckily, Keith wasn’t too attached to his sword and getting a new one would just be more opportunity to try out Pidge’s weapons. She had promised him a demon carver and a feathered edge blade if he brought her the core. Perhaps that offer was still open…

After Keith was done fussing around with his gear, Keith showered, scrubbing away at the dried blood over the scars where his wounds used to be. He inspected his scars thoroughly, counting them and stretching them a little to see how tight they were. The resurrection had done a clean job, Keith decided. He had already had a few scars here and there to begin with, but the ones he accumulated during this battle with the Galra were not only bigger, but there were more of them. At that point, Keith had come to think of scars in terms of his body healing itself so he could fight another day, rather than in terms of the wounds themselves.

Once Keith was all cleaned up, he redressed himself in a grey shirt and loose-fitting, black pants. His boots weren’t entirely in one piece anymore either, so he opted for shorter boots instead.

Keith opened the door to his room, expecting to walk out of there and into the hallway as usual, but someone was standing in the doorway, preventing that from happening. With bright, expectant eyes and a nervous move of his lips, Lance stared at Keith.

“Do you wanna maybe come on another adventure with me…?” Lance shifted his feet around.

“Aren’t we supposed to help put the castle back together?” Keith glanced down the hallway toward the door.

Lance furrowed his brows, “We won’t be long... You shouldn’t be working after you just woke up anyways!”

Keith crossed his arms and leaned into the doorframe. “If you wanted to take me on a date, you could have just asked,” Keith smirked.

Lance’s face burned a deep red. He stared at Keith for a moment and huffed, “Keith, do you wanna go an adventure-date with me?”

“An adventure-date?”

“It’s like a date, but more adventurous,” Lance explained.

Keith snorted, “Lance, it would be adventurous to go on a date with you at all.”

Lance puffed out his chest, grinning, “Yeah, you do have to pretty adventurous to be with me!”

“I know, I have the scars to prove it,” Keith reminded, jabbing a finger into Lance’s chest.

“Well, maybe if you listened to me once then those wouldn’t have been there.” Although Lance kept his voice steady and teasing, Keith could see the guilt glistening in his eyes. “Is that a yes to the date though?” he asked.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Keith laughed. He slipped back into his room, grabbed a harness set off the wall, and loaded it with another sword which he had settled onto the wall. Once it was properly on Keith’s body, he met Lance outside the room, closing and locking his door behind him.

Beaming, Lance led the way out of the castle. They didn’t head to the stables like Keith was thinking they would, instead just wandering out over one of the hills and down a little walking trail. Keith remembered the fate of Livia and Fabron, wondering if they had made it out okay or not. Overhead, the sky was still smoggy, not nearly as blue as it had been before, but there were still birds chirping as they flew by. The sun was slightly visible through the smoke remnants, warming Keith up as he followed along with Lance. A steady sound alerted Keith and he glanced down to see that Lance had led them to a stream, flowing out from the mountains in the distance and heading to the base of the hill.

It hadn’t felt like they had been walking long, but when they turned back around to face the castle, Keith realized just how far they had come. He was also suddenly able to see the full extent of the damage done to the castle. Keith winced.

“Yeah,” Lance agreed, noticing Keith’s reaction. “The Galra sure don’t mess around, huh?” He was trying for a joshing tone, but Keith could hear the grief hidden underneath. That was Lance’s home, after all. Before Keith could say anything in response, Lance continued, “Everyone is working hard on repairs, even me, I’m helping. It’s going to take some work, the castle has a long way to go, but it’s going well so far. You’ve been healing for a few days, so you missed most of the stuff after the battle. We lost some of our people, but you know what?” Lance turned to smile excitedly at Keith, “When I used the resurrection song, a light shot up from the scale and all the villages saw it! They saved themselves in time!”

“So… did we…?” Keith began, not wanting to get his hopes up too much, although he couldn’t help the relief he could already feel spilling into his veins.

Lance grinned even more, laughing a little as he answered, “Yes! We did save the villages, Keith! We did it!”

“Leaving the castle wasn’t all for nothing then,” Keith brightened, thinking back on his own home and how devastated he would be if they hadn’t been alright.

“Nope!” Lance beamed. “I even killed Zarkon! Can you believe that? Me!”

Keith couldn’t help the small huff of laughter that escaped him as he watched Lance get excited about… killing a man…

Lance stared at Keith for a moment longer than what was considered necessary. His smile became a little strained as he continued to study Keith’s face. Lance swallowed once, clearing his throat briefly and shifting his glance away to stare at the ground. “Keith, thank you for saving my life. Even if you were an idiot and killed yourself in the process,” Lance said seriously, swallowing thickly once again.

Keith just smiled, “Thanks for resurrecting me.”

Lance snorted, then looked to Keith with a sort of awkward guilt. “I’m sorry I got us into that mess too. I really don’t make your job easier, do I?”

Keith stepped toward Lance, sliding his fingers over Lance’s wrist until their hands were intertwined. “It’s not my job,” Keith muttered.

“Huh?” Lance quirked an eyebrow.

“I didn’t save your life because it’s my job, Lance. I saved your life because I care about you,” Keith answered softly. “Technically, I’m supposed to be executed anyways,” he added, more as a way to take the focus away from the cheesy statement he had said.

“Aw, Keith!” Lance gushed, making Keith scrunch his face up in embarrassment as he blushed. “I care about you too! Which reminds me; Allura and I spoke with our dad and you’re not being imprisoned. When I told him what you had done for me, he realized that you’re more than right for the job since you didn’t even have to fight for me anymore. He’s even considering giving you your role as my knight back,” Lance told him, squeezing his hand lightly.

Keith stared at Lance, wide-eyed and completely uncaring towards his previous embarrassment. “Are you serious?” he breathed.

Lance shuffled his feet, quirking the corner of his mouth as a nervous gesture, “Well, only if you want it, of course, totally understandable if you don’t…”

Rather than reply, Keith just hugged Lance. Keith had never been one for physical affection, but something – or maybe everything – about Lance made Keith want to touch him. Even in the smallest ways like playfully kicking his foot under the table or brushing a stray piece of hair away from his face. After a choked noise of surprise, Lance regained himself and hugged Keith back, wrapping his arm around the knight to hold onto him while still keeping their hands entangled.

Lance pulled away, not completely, but enough that he could press his forehead against Keith’s. “Hmm,” Lance hummed, “Zombie Keith is much more affectionate than Regular Keith,” he teased.

“Shut up,” Keith murmured as he tilted his head, catching Lance’s lips with his own. Lance smiled into the kiss, becoming pliant in Keith’s arms and squeezing Keith’s hand even tighter within his own. Their lips languidly glided along each other, delicate and gentle, like they had all the time in the world. It wasn’t like their first kiss in the weapons yard, it was much slower, and filled with more emotion. Each soft collision of their mouths, each whine that escaped them, each breath of air they paused to take, each bump of their noses, each shift of their hands, all of it was laced with pure, unashamed love and gratitude that they were both even alive to share in this kiss.

Keith pushed up and onto his tip toes a little bit, adding more force to their joined lips without actually affecting the ferocity of it. Lance hummed happily, giggling against Keith’s mouth. Keith couldn’t help the way he breathed out a sigh after disconnecting the kiss. He didn’t back away though, still just as close, feeling the huffs of air Lance breathed onto his lips. Lance was grinning, his face a deep red as he stared down at Keith with unrestrained adoration. Keith melted under his gaze, smiling – against his own will – like a dope.

“Keith?” Lance asked softly.

“Yeah?”

“You are my boyfriend, right? I wasn’t just reading this wrong, was I?” He stared away awkwardly.

Keith huffed a short laugh, rubbing his thumb along the back of Lance’s hand. “If you’ll have me, I’d love to be.” Keith was saying many cheesy things which he could never imagine himself saying. It didn’t help that he was blushing while he said them. What was he? Some kind of teenage schoolgirl? Lance really brought out a side of Keith that not even Keith knew existed. But he did mean what he said, every word.

Lance beamed, his cheeks pressing into an impossibly radiant smile. It was infectious, causing Keith to breathe out in a rush and smile with him as his breath was taken away from him. Lance was so beautiful, inside and out. Keith’s heart palpitated just from seeing the boy’s excited face. Lance leaned forward quickly, pecking his lips against Keith’s. As brief as it was, Keith still closed his eyes, savouring the fleeting feeling.

“I have more good news,” Lance said in a singsong tone. “Dad realized that someone needs to go talk to all the villages about Zarkon’s attack. Y’know, tell them everything that’s going on, make sure everyone is alright, reassure them. But here’s the exciting part; he chose me! Well, I offered, but he still agreed to it!” Lance bounced on his heels at the idea of freedom without having to escape behind his father’s back and Keith couldn’t help but match his enthusiasm with the bubbly feeling in his chest.

“That’s the real role of a Prince,” Keith affirmed, which only made Lance let out a pleased noise.

His eyes suddenly widened. “Keith, I have to meet your family!” he squawked.

Keith squinted in confusion. “You’ve already met my family.”

Lance just sighed like Keith was an idiot for not understanding. “Now that you’re my current cutie, I have to reintroduce myself properly!”

“Why would you have to reintroduce yourself? And don’t say ‘current cutie’ ever again,” Keith groaned.

“I have to make a new first impression because your sister doesn’t like me and I also definitely called you Frog Boy to your friends.” Lance suddenly gasped, “That can be your petname! Frog Boy!”

Keith stared at Lance with an unimpressed glare. “Do not call me Frog Boy.”

“Can I call you my Creamsicle? Or how about my Tragic Overture Op. 81 in D. Minor?”

“What the fuck?”

“My samurai? My hero of time?” Lance continued to suggest names.

Keith dropped Lance’s hand and began to wander away. He didn’t even know where he was going, he just left.

“How about this one; you call me your raindrop, and I call you my drop top?” Lance called, following after him.

Keith shook his head, listening to the amusement that was clear in Lance’s voice. “I’m not listening,” Keith threw over his shoulder, unable to hide the smile on his face.

“Okay, okay! Keith, come back, I’m joking!” Lance jogged a little bit to catch Keith’s hand and jostle him in the shoulder. “How about you just be my knight in shining armour and I’ll be your prince charming?”

“So… the same as it always is?” Keith raised an eyebrow, accepting Lance’s hand and bumping him in the arm right back.

Lance stared at Keith for a moment, his face tinted pink. “I can’t tell if you’re flirting right now or not…” he muttered.

 _“Here’s what love is; a smoke made out of lovers’ sighs. When the smoke clears, love is a fire burning in your lover’s eyes,”_ Keith stared as lovingly as he could into Lance’s eyes, relishing in the way Lance’s face blossomed with red. “Now I am,” Keith chuckled.

“This time you really are romancing me with Shakespeare!” Lance giggled through his blush, pressing his face down and into his neck to hide himself.

Keith found that incredibly endearing and it fueled him on, “Out in the woods, you told me you wanted me to show you something magical, quote Shakespeare, and kiss you. I’ve done two of those things,” Keith smirked.

“Are you gonna show me something magical?” Lance waggled an eyebrow as he peeked at Keith out of the corner of his eyes, squeezing his hand.

“Mm hmm,” Keith purred. “All you have to do is give me the ancient core and–”

“Keith!” Lance cut him off, “I’m not giving you the core until I’m done with it! Quit trying to steal it!”

Keith whined, not unlike a little kid, “But it’s Pidge! A demon carver, Lance! I was promised a _demon carver!”_

Lance crossed his arms. “I don’t even know what that is. Show me something magical like you said, and then I’ll _consider_ it.”

Keith hummed contemplatively before he pulled Lance to a stop, drawing his hand away from Lance’s and facing him fully. Lance watched on, intrigued, smiling with a flirty kind of undertone to it. Keith positioned his hands in front of his chest so Lance could see them clearly, he stretched his fingers out a little bit, watching Lance’s eyes follow along closely. Keith gently placed the fingers of one hand onto the thumb of his other hand, moving slowly. Then he snapped his thumb backwards until it pressed into his wrist.

Lance immediately shrieked. Keith couldn’t help himself, he cackled at Lance’s reaction. “What’s wrong, Lance? Don’t you want to hold my hand?” Keith mocked, stepping toward Lance with his outstretched hands still folding his thumb back.

“Stop! Stop that right now! Oh my goddess!” Lance screeched, he backed away from Keith hastily, pressing his hands to his face and cringing.

“You wanted something magical,” Keith reminded.

“That’s not magical! That’s horrific!” Lance shook his head frantically. Keith let his thumb go and walked at Lance, laughing while he reached out to take his boyfriend’s hands away from his face. He captured Lance’s wrists while the Prince protested, “Definitely not getting the core for that! Get away from me, you bendy joint boy!” Lance was giggling through his sentence, unable to fight. Keith removed his hands and pressed a short kiss to Lance’s nose. They both stood there, tittering and stumbling into each other, content to just be together.

They meandered off through the forest, heading nowhere in particular, on some kind of adventure, or perhaps it was a date. Although Keith wasn’t Lance’s knight, he still surveyed the area periodically in between bouts of getting lost in Lance’s eyes. Even though Lance was supposed to be back at the castle, helping with repairs, he still managed to blow away the whole day just by exploring the trail as he mapped Keith’s hand with his own.

Lance may not have been the Prince that King Alfor had hoped he’d be, but he was better. He was happy, he was loved, and he was the personal touch that the kingdom needed. Sometimes, Lance required a little reminder that he was the Prince that the people needed, but that was fine because Keith was more than happy to show Lance just how loved he truly was by everyone, especially Keith himself. They hadn’t known each other long, but Keith had already fallen pretty hard. He preferred not to think about just how readily he had died for Lance when he wasn’t even under the oath at that point. That was fine though. There was time. Keith still felt honoured to accompany Lance on his many escapades.

The Prince had a free heart, even if it did belong to his knight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp! Thanks for reading this thing! It means the world to me, truly! I hope it was everything you were hoping it would be and perhaps you might check out my other works too, some of them are pretty similar so if you liked this one, you'll probably like those ones too.  
> If you wanna leave a comment with any ending thoughts you had about this fic, don't be a stranger, I don't bite! Comments are much appreciated; lets me know what I'm doing wrong and what I'm doing right. Or should I say, what I'm doing write! Ha!  
> I'm still in the process of writing that other angsty thingy that I mentioned before so stay tuned for that. Until then, farewell!  
> Also, Breath of the Wild is a 10/10 game, changed my life, highly recommend.

**Author's Note:**

> See ya in three days!


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